The UPS Store Salutes Small Businesses #SmallBizSalute #CollectiveBias #Giveaway

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SmallBizSalute #CollectiveBias

As an owner of a small home baking business, I have come to learn first hand how hard it can be to run a business especially one where it is pretty much just you doing everything from baking, decorating, shopping, mailing, advertising, promotion and more. Thrown in two young kids to the mix and other household duties and I am surprised that I was able to keep my baking business going for 5 years now. I have cut WAY back on events and most tasks outside of baking because it came to be too much for me to do by myself. It was nice to know that there were businesses like The UPS Store for when I needed help with shipping some delicate cookies to another state, but did you know that they do so much more than just shipping?

The UPS Store can help businesses of any size really to grow and expand their business with tools like printing, advertising materials, and even 3D printing. Wow. The UPS Store has a heart for small businesses and this last week they launched a program called the Small Biz Salute to honor small businesses and provide them with an outlet to meet other businesses in the area and make some valuable connections. I had the privilege of attending one of their evening happy hour events in Austin this past week at The Palm Door and it really was a great tool to meet new people and learn from several companies about what they can do for small business.

It can be hard to get your name out there if you don’t have a big budget for advertising so finding events like the one The UPS Store put on is invaluable. They wanted to feature local small business experts and chapter representatives from SCORE, a nonprofit dedicated to helping small businesses through education and mentorship, who will offer valuable advice on topics relevant to small business owners. My favorite part of the evening, other than the avocado bar, was hearing from Jae Kim, owner of  Chi’lantro BBQ. You can tell by his every word that Jae really has a heart for people and the cooking world. He believes that his word is his bond and if he is going to send out a tweet of where he will be with food that he must be there whether he has enough staff to pull it off or not. He looks at employees as family and real people and not just another body to make his business run. Man if we could have more business owners like him in this world than people could truly enjoy  their jobs and want to serve others.

His words hit home with me about how I should treat those customers who want some sweet treats for their birthday party. Or even with this blog, to make it something you want to read and really get something useful out of what I write. Business of any kind can be hard and tough to navigate. The UPS Store wants to be a resource for big business and especially small business.

Do what you can to support small businesses around you. Shop local as often as you can. Buy from that mom and pop shop to help them keep their dreams alive.

I want to know what are some of your favorite small businesses where you live. Share below in the comments and leave a link to their website if they have one.

To help celebrate small businesses, I am giving away 4 ($25) GC to The UPS Store. There will be 4 winners total. Open to US residents. Giveaway will end 5/18 at midnight. Good Luck and Happy Entering 🙂
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