Who is ready to celebrate the END OF 2020! It has definitely been one of the most unpredictable years we have ever experienced. Our health is at risk, jobs are uncertain, budgets are tight, and masks are ‘the new thing’.

Featured Photo: Use Code ZACH10 during checkout to get a discount off your purchase.

Though we can focus on all the negatives, there have been some good that has emerged this year (See our feature on Belizeans giving back.) Many Belizeans have started businesses ?  and those already in business are working to create better online shopping spaces.

This is where you come in! It is the perfect time for you to choose to SHOP LOCAL! There has never been a better time to support your local entrepreneurs. Spend your extra cash where it will make the most difference.

choose THE LOCAL PRODUCT

I (Deidra) recently purchased a few items from local entrepreneurs (see below). They were all exceptional, from the customer service, to the packaging, to the product. I encourage you to choose the local product over the imported; even if it’s a few dollars or cents more. By spending a few dollars more you are helping someone support their family, send their kids to school, put food on the table, and pay their rent. On the other hand, when you choose to save a few cents, you are more than likely choosing to invest in a millionaire.

So next time you’re out shopping, choose the Made in Belize, Belizean-made, Made by Belizean… jos pik di Belizean wan. ??

If Covid-19 has taught us nothing, it sure did show us that we could use some diversity in our economy.

pay FULL PRICE

When you do shop local, please pay full price. Don’t be the person who asks for the best price or a discount for buying two. Seriously, do you walk into a Nike or Apple store and ask for $$ off to buy two iPhones? Our products are a lot cheaper, A LOT! Why do we do that to the small businesses working hard to make ends meet? Come on guys, let’s do better.

Other Ways to Support Your Local Entrepreneurs

If you are tight on cash, there are other ways to support your local entrepreneurs that won’t cost you anything but a few minutes of your time.

  1. Leave a positive review on their Facebook page or on Google.
  2. Share about their product or service on your social media profile or mention to your friends and family at your next gathering (when we kiss Corona goodbye).
  3. Follow their social media accounts and engage with their content. Hit like or drop a comment; tell them they are doing a good job!
Curious to see what local products I recently bought? Take a peek below. (:

I got two lovely “Z” keychains (my daughter’s name begins with Z) from Petal Charms. I got one with rose petals for my mom and one black and gold for myself. Their communication was excellent! She kept me updated along the way and there was an instance where one of the letters did not meet her standards and she let me know she would fix before sending out. I appreciated that very much. She made sure to deliver nothing but her best.

 

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My mom looooooves coffee. Pop and Sip is a brand new Belizean owned and operated company and we just could not wait to try their product. It did not disappoint and we got many servings from the bottle. The packaging was amazing too! I also loved how on time they were (not on Belizean time). They said the shipment would arrive in Belmopan at 2pm and I got a message 10 minutes before saying it was ready! I can easily see this product being the next big Belizean product, right up there with Marie Sharp.

 

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Zest Handcrafted posted a beautiful pair of earrings she custom made for someone and I fell in love. While I’m a more simple girl when it comes to earrings (give me pearl studs from Kaj Expressions any day), I knew my mom would love these so I bought a pair for her and she absolutely loved them! If a product is not your style, but you truly want to support local, just think of someone you can gift the item to.

 

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Our new store location could use some greenery and I had been eyeing posts from Sunnybrook for months. I got 3 beautiful plants from her that will be planted outside and inside our store. Rebecca’s customer service was amazing! She let me know what plants would work best for my needs and location and also walked me through plant care for each.

 

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We have been debating if we should add some candles to our list of products offered in store. I got the cutest little candle from Baby Earth that had such thoughtful packaging. I love the positive vibe shared on their packages. They also just dropped a new cappuccino candle that I cannot wait to try. If you think we should add candles to our product list please drop a comment below!

 

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