Small Business Profiles For Local Shoppers

To promote small businesses nationwide, American Express has started to sponsor a campaign called "Small Business Saturday."

The event itself occurs just after Thanksgiving. It's meant to remind shoppers that spending money with small businesses helps support the local economy.

Patch on Small Business Saturday.

But why stop there when so many interesting shops could use attention?

Here are some more vignettes about how local companies are navigating a tough economy.

Wax & Things Boutique

Tanisha and Zair McMahan opened  in 2007 on MacArthur Blvd. near Durant. Initially it was strictly a bath and body boutique selling soaps, aromatic candles and fragrant bath salts some of which were handmade by Tanisha.

Last year as the economic recession continued to take its toll the couple decided to reinvent their business model by adding apparel and accessories to their 750 square foot storefront.

"We wanted to expand our customer base," she said, "and appeal to a broader range of ages."

Tanisha was a machinist for 11 years before opening the business. Zair is an electrician and still works in his trade. "He's more of a silent partner in the business," said Tanisha.

draws customers from as far away as Berkeley and Dublin because the store stocks some exclusive products not sold elsewhere, she said.

"People can find that unusual item here," she said.

But she has to work hard to maintaintain her uniqueness.

Recently a product line she thought she alone sold in the area landed on the shelves at . A small vendor was bought out by a larger company and their product line leaped from small boutiques to big box retailers, she explained.

So she is constantly looking for the next new thing other stores are not likely to carry.

Personal care and attention to customers' special needs, like making custom-ordered candles in colors and fragrances of their choosing, have helped her build her customer base.

Each year in November, to celebrate their store's anniversary and welcome the holiday season, they host an open house for their customers where they serve wine, appetizers and pass out gift bags. Throughout the holiday season the store offers free gift wrapping for all store purchases.

East Bay Flowers

Rosa Preciado and her brother-in-law, Ismael Sanchez just took over ownership of  in March, but Preciado knows the business very well, having worked there for 22 years.

Sixty percent of their business is derived from San Leandrans. Like other merchants interviewed, East Bay Flowers has created a niche for itself.

In their case the specialty is funerals. Nothing may be as certain as death and taxes, as the saying goes, and having a long-standing relationship with mortuaries throughout the Bay Area has kept the flower shop in business even through the hard times, said Preciado.

Wedding orders have also been a mainstay for the business.

During the Christmas season the shop relies upon large orders from businesses that order 20 or 30 centerpieces to give to their clients as gifts.

The store also sells trees configured from greens and holiday themed floral arrangements.

It has also diversified, becoming a one-stop gift store, she said selling balloons and fruit baskets along with flowers and plants.

"Thanksgiving is not what it used to be," said Preciad. "We used to do a lot of centerpieces for it, but not much anymore."

She said Valentine's Day and Mother's Day are bigger sales opportunities for her store.

Even so, she said she has hired six extra people for the upcoming holiday season and she is seeing the store's on-line business, established a couple of years ago, growing.

Like other merchants interviewed, Preciado said she thinks the reason her business has been able to weather rough economic waters in recent years is because it has an already-established customer base and people recommend it to others.

It has also picked up customers, she said, as the result of numerous other independent small florists closing shop. 

(If you have a locally-owned shop tell Patch a little bit about it in an e-mail. include a digital snapshot if you can. Or if you're a shopper who just loves a local merchant who's too shy to tout their wares, a few words of recommendation from you and a photo could lead to a profile. Email the editor at tom.abate@patch.com.)