Small business owners all over Greater Cleveland are offering special deals and giveaways for Small Business Saturday on Nov. 29 and inviting customers to shop small.
Small Business Saturday started as a marketing campaign by American Express in 2010. Since then, it’s become a kind of shopping holiday, gaining favor with consumers who want to keep their money close to home. With some ongoing boycotts of national chain stores, even more people are expected to shop local this holiday season.
Advocates often say shopping small “pays for a kid’s skate lessons.” So we decided to ask some small business owners around Greater Cleveland: What direct impact does our money have on their lives when we shop small? Here’s what we heard.
Is your small business taking part in Small Business Saturday? Let us know and we’ll add you to this list.
Van Aken District
Threads N Beads at The Corner
Gehan Hussein was a college professor in English Literature in Egypt. Now she runs a small business, Thread N Beads, selling handmade jewelry at The Corner in Van Aken’s Market Hall. And she enjoys talking to customers about Shakespeare.
“This is my only income, so I am doing a lot of things with the money I get,” she said.
Gehan’s husband, Yasser, a youth soccer coach, smiled and added that she is spending all her money on their first grandchild, expected to be born in two months.
LADDER
Dre Wien owns LADDER at Van Aken, which features independent designers and ethically made fashion.
“My income from LADDER literally funds my life, as it’s my career,” Dre said. “From paying for my son’s school to putting food on the table to travel experiences, we wouldn’t be able to live without it.”
Dre added: “The truth is, this community gives me everything: yes, a livable income, but also friendship, support, love and belonging. It’s hard to think of my life without it.”
Legacy Village
The Wick Life at Locally Spruced
Rebecca Parks, owner and creator of The Wick Life, available at Locally Spruced, said her candle business helps keep her close to her grandchildren after her son-in-law’s job took the family to Texas. Now she travels to Texas once a month to see them.
“They are my legacy – the little lights that I want to be near as they grow,” Rebecca said. “Every candle I pour … brings me one step closer to being present for their laughter, their milestones, and all their everyday moments that I miss right now.”
Rebecca Parks’ Mini Moments candles are hand-poured with coco apricot wax and make great stocking stuffers or self-care gifts. Candles are $12 each or three for $30 on Small Business Saturday at Locally Spruced in Legacy Village.
Basil & Rex
Randi Gilmore owns Basil & Rex dog products and Locally Spruced, which features local artists and vendors from all over Greater Cleveland.
“We created Basil & Rex so we’re able to do more with our families, have more time with our family,” Randi Gilmore said. It pays “for my daughter to take gymnastics, and for us to actually be available to attend the gymnastics.”
The Screw Factory
Vitromancy Art
Courtney Richardson and her husband, Adam Trace, run Vitromancy Art at the Screw Factory artist collective in Lakewood. It is their main source of income. Vitromancy Art sells handblown glass and stained glass items and offers classes and do-it-yourself experiences for all ages.
Courtney studied glassblowing at Kent State University in 2014 and worked for other artists before purchasing the glass furnace from a former employer to start up a small business of her own.
Over a year ago, their cat, Ollie Richardson, developed a skin problem local vets weren’t able to diagnose or treat. Ollie was referred to a veterinary dermatologist in Akron where they learned he had an unusual staph infection that is resistant to most antibiotics.
“His care has maxed out a credit card,” said Courtney, “but we are finally getting answers. He isn’t cured yet, but he is on his way. When people come to us for classes or to buy from our gallery, they are helping us get him the treatment he needs.”
Kim Schoel Art
Kim Schoel owns Kim Schoel Art at the Screw Factory artist collective.
“The biggest benefit from selling things is not only paying the rent but also being able to hire help, [someone] that can help me make things” Kim said. “Sometimes I’m not in town and she can run the shop while I’m gone. Small businesses used to be the largest employer in the U.S. I would like us to preserve that.”
Crocker Park
Color Me Mine
Mona Shah owns Color Me Mine, a paint-your-own-pottery store in Crocker Park in Westlake and at Pinecrest shopping mall in Orange Village.
This isn’t the first shop Mona has owned. Her first one at Summit Mall struggled during the pandemic, and she had to close in 2024. Back then, she felt she wasn’t able to do anything for her family financially.
“Everything that I made was getting drained out by the business,” she said.
In 2025, Mona opened Color Me Mine in its two new locations. “I kind of pulled myself out of the mess I was in … and within six months of me opening [at] Crocker Park, I can now afford to pay my child’s tuition.”
Mona’s daughter is a freshman in her first semester of college studying to be an architect. It’s a brand new experience for Mona as well – this is the first time she’s sent a child to college. Her goal is to pay her daughter’s college tuition in full.
Oceanne
Anne Harill owns Oceanne at Crocker Park and Pinecrest. The boutique sells jewelry and home goods.
“We have been able to fund our daughter’s guitar lessons at the School of Rock,” Harill said. “We are [also] able to support my husband’s non-profit, Refresh Collective, which in turn supports hundreds of kids in Cleveland schools.”
Credit: Anne Harrill / Oceanne
