5 Holiday Gift ideas featuring small businesses

It is starting to be colder and very rainy (Raincouver, it is!), and we never know when it will start snowing. However, as much as the weather might try and bring us down, it’s almost that time of the year again, and I couldn’t be more excited!

Now that we have realized that the holidays are coming sooner than we expected. Do you find yourself stuck and are looking for the best gift to get your gal pals, friends, family, or the significant other in your life? No need to worry, we have got you covered.

With the past year being the toughest year for many businesses, let us all support those that need our help the most—saying that there’s no better time to shop small than on #SmallBusinessSaturday. All small businesses have a unique story behind them. Some can be inspirational, some can be funny and entertaining, and some can just be unexpected. So, I have rounded up the best small business holiday gift ideas to give to those who are special to you and have included their stories of how they started.

1- Luna Nectar 

Mia Fiona Kut founded Luna Nectar after creating a natural alternative to a chemical lash serum that gave her sister adverse side effects. Having cultivated a passion for holistic remedies from an early age, Mia quickly expanded her line into 11 products and won the BC Business 30 under 30 Award in 2019 focusing on innovating unexpected hair and skincare essentials infused with adaptogenic herbs and actives, that commit to being all-natural, vegan, and cruelty free.

2-  The Pet Society Vancouver 

Louis Amoros was born in Barcelona and moved to Vancouver to take advantage of the incredible outdoors, with his furry friends by his side. Louis and Linda operate the Pet Society and offer catered services to their clients. They specialize in behavioral training, socialization, and group walks. They offer the best gift for your furry family member! So for those who are looking for peace of mind and great exercise for their fur baby, rain or shine, The Pet Society Vancouver is here!

3- Liv Artisanal 

Liv loves high-quality food products and has a deep passion for food. She graduated from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Piemonte, Italy. The University was founded by Slow Food, a non-profit organization set to educate consumers on the importance of maintaining traditional food practices. Liv discovered the traditional way to hand roast nuts through her partner, who is Persian. She couldn’t get enough of the product and wanted to share this elevated food experience with others. She believes that the small-batch roasting technique and high-quality ingredients make for the most delicious roasted almonds and cashews.

4- Gossip Claws 

Audrey is a Toronto-based female entrepreneur and content creator. Audrey advocates for self-care and likes to be spoiled and feel girly from time to time! She created Gossip Claws to provide women with the salon look from the comfort of their own home. Sitting in a nail salon is both time-consuming and expensive. However, founder Audrey knows every woman likes to be spoiled and feel girly from time to time. For this reason, Gossip Claws was created to provide women with the salon look from the comfort of their own homes. 

5- Travel Posters Studio 

Karolina started to design vintage travel posters based on her photos which she clicked traveling through 4 continents with her husband. But now that she lives in Vancouver and is close to such magical forests and mountains and spends much time here, she is constantly amazed by nature which you can probably tell by looking at posters and mugs. Unfortunately, the wall can’t fit all travel prints and, honestly, how many coffees can you drink to use all mugs? So she decided to share her posters with the world and other folks who appreciate some beautiful travel posters on their walls. That’s how Travel Posters Studio was born.

Aren’t they all just so special and eccentric in their own way? I mean, I would not have thought of these gifts, but now that I know about them, my friends will surely appreciate them. So, check out their website and #supportlocal this holiday season!

Luna Nectar: www.instagram.com/lunanectar 

The Pet Society Vancouver: www.thepetsociety.ca

Liv Artisanal: www.Livartisanal.com

Gossip Claws: www. gossipclaws.com

Travel Posters Studio: www.travelpostersstudio.etsy.com