Something for everyone during small business Saturday, supporting small businesses continue for the holidays

Tis the season for shopping for Christmas gifts or treating yourself to a special gift. While many grab their phones to shop or head to the mall, numerous people showed support to small businesses for small business Saturday in Santa Barbara and Ventura.

"I make luxury candles and soaps and bath products. I actually just opened a store, because I've been so successful at doing markets that my business just kept growing and growing," said Lindsay Gould, Golden Arrow Goods Owner and host of Mosaic Makers Market in Santa Barbara.

Small businesses bring niche creativity, supplements and beauty to local communities including Creatiffity Studios, a small business that puts tiles seen around Santa Barbara into jewelry.

We go around downtown Santa Barbara, and we find beautiful tiles from all around town, and we inlay them into our jewelry," said Tiffany Lytle, Creatiffity Studios Owner. "And then we give our customers a map that is hand drawn by Roger Buster, so that they can, you know, go find their map around town and kind of do a scavenger hunt."

When asked the importance of shopping small not just on small business Saturday but every day, this was the response.

"It's crucial to all of us who are locals, small businesses who are really trying to make it in Santa Barbara, you know," said Gould.

"It's really special when you can like support a small business and an artist and help them like continue their passion," said Whitney Reed, Findings Market Ventura Owner. Reed put on the 2024 Findings Market Holiday Fair in Downtown Ventura, which featured over 100 vendors.

This holiday season shop small, Central Coast. From honey, to cutting boards and kids clothes, there is always a small business ready to help.