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Today, on #SmallBusinessSaturday 
, let’s have a look at some small businesses that have found new ways to support their communities while surviving a difficult year.
, let’s have a look at some small businesses that have found new ways to support their communities while surviving a difficult year.
Our good friends at @ladybirddiner have transformed themselves into a free pantry, handing out thousands of free meals since March. You can read all about it in their book, LADYBIRD, COLLECTED, sales of which benefit the pantry.
https://www.ravenbookstore.com/ladybirdcollected
https://www.ravenbookstore.com/ladybirdcollected
Meanwhile, Jeff Bezos could give every Amazon employee $105,000 and still be as rich as he was at the beginning of the pandemic. https://twitter.com/rbreich/status/1332563108938715136
The great folks at #LFK’s Jungle House Goods bought 115 gift certificates to other Lawrence small businesses (including us! Thank you, friends!) and they’re giving them away with purchases today.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CIHgvhhpZVL/?igshid=1qr6orohe5odn
https://www.instagram.com/p/CIHgvhhpZVL/?igshid=1qr6orohe5odn
Meanwhile, in May, Amazon fired employee Christian Smalls after he led efforts to increase COVID safety precautions on warehouse floors. Leaked Amazon memos saw execs talking about scapegoating him. https://www.vice.com/en/article/5dm8bx/leaked-amazon-memo-details-plan-to-smear-fired-warehouse-organizer-hes-not-smart-or-articulate
The tireless art supply wizards at @WonderFair spent the fall working to educate and empower voters, becoming a go-to source for information on progressive policies and candidates. They live-streamed every local candidate debate on their Instagram, often providing commentary.
Meanwhile, Amazon has stepped up surveillance of their own employees, posting a job listing for an “intelligence analyst” to track union activity and eventually hiring Pinkerton agents to spy on workers and activists. https://www.vice.com/en/article/5dp3yn/amazon-leaked-reports-expose-spying-warehouse-workers-labor-union-environmental-groups-social-movements
There are countless ways bookstores give back to their communities, even in a tough year like this:
for every $50 in gift card sales this weekend @AvidBookshop is donating one book to schools.
@Watermarkbooks set a record for their annual Opportunity Project book drive.
for every $50 in gift card sales this weekend @AvidBookshop is donating one book to schools. @Watermarkbooks set a record for their annual Opportunity Project book drive.
Meanwhile, as millions of Americans protested police killings and the overreach of law enforcement, Amazon quietly continued to expand their program which allows people to freely share their own surveillance video with police departments. https://www.protocol.com/amazons-ring-police-partnerships
More bookstores giving back:
During this summer’s protests, @harriettsbooks handed out free books about civil rights to protesters. @MoonPalaceBooks fed protestors and refused to allow the police from the adjacent third precinct to use their parking lot for staging.
During this summer’s protests, @harriettsbooks handed out free books about civil rights to protesters. @MoonPalaceBooks fed protestors and refused to allow the police from the adjacent third precinct to use their parking lot for staging.
These small businesses did all this in addition to the great bookselling, plantselling, and foodselling they usually do.
They did it in a year that made it incredibly difficult to be a small business.
Facing huge uncertainty, they found new ways to build their communities.
They did it in a year that made it incredibly difficult to be a small business.
Facing huge uncertainty, they found new ways to build their communities.
Meanwhile, Amazon spent this year:
spying on its workers
being slow to implement COVID protections
charging exploitative fees to its third-party sellers
maintaining workplace conditions that make injuries twice as likely as their industry peers
etc.
spying on its workers being slow to implement COVID protections charging exploitative fees to its third-party sellers maintaining workplace conditions that make injuries twice as likely as their industry peers etc.
Shop Local, yes! Your favorite small businesses need your support.
Small businesses also need the government to ensure a fair playing field. That means pandemic relief. That means curbing monopoly power.
Live every day like it’s #SmallBusinessSaturday.
Small businesses also need the government to ensure a fair playing field. That means pandemic relief. That means curbing monopoly power.
Live every day like it’s #SmallBusinessSaturday
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