The best gifts come in small packages—just like small businesses. Every product tells a story, every item is packaged with care, and every purchase makes a real difference.
Making up 99.9% of American businesses and contributing 43.5% to our GDP, these independent retailers and restaurants are the true backbone of our economy. Founded by American Express in 2010 and co-sponsored in 2011 by the Small Business Administration, Small Business Saturday drives massive support throughout the holiday season. Last year alone, consumers spent $17 billion shopping small, according to the 2023 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey.
When dollars stay within our communities, small businesses and neighborhoods thrive, proving that one much-anticipated day does make all the difference.
At BILL, we champion small and midsize businesses (SMBs) and are committed to their success. This Small Business Saturday, we're highlighting women-and minority-owned SMBs who bring diverse perspectives while overcoming their own challenges. This isn’t just a good deed. It’s an opportunity to drive economic growth, promote diversity, and build stronger communities.
Challenges faced by minority and women-owned businesses
Almost one out of every ten working women in the United States is a business owner, and yet women represent only 21.4% of all employer firms. And despite performing 63% better than those founded by men, female-founded companies only received 2.7% of total venture capital dollars in 2019, according to the Female Founders Fund.
Similarly, racial and ethnic minority-owned businesses represent 18% of all US businesses, but also face limited access to capital and networking opportunities. Black entrepreneurs receive less than 2% of annual venture capital funding, restricting their ability to scale, invest in new technologies, and compete in the marketplace.
By choosing to shop with these businesses, we can BILL it forward and amplify their voices to empower a more inclusive marketplace.
Small Business Saturday: 12 small businesses you won't want to miss
This Small Business Saturday, we're excited to spotlight, in no particular order, the best of our BILL customers. These 12 racial/ethnic minority- and women-owned businesses exemplify innovation, resilience, and community spirit. As our gift to you, we’re offering special discount codes to shop small and BILL it forward!
1. Tower 28
Gift a beauty lover, or yourself, clean beauty products while also supporting women-owned businesses that are making a difference.
Tower 28 is a woman-founded company by Amy Liu, a 15+ year beauty executive who dreamed of accessible makeup products for people with sensitive skin. As the only beauty brand 100% compliant with the National Eczema Association, Tower 28 specializes in high-performance, toxic and irritant-free beauty products that don't break the bank.
On Earth Day, they donate 100% of their profits to ocean conservation, but that’s just the start. Every year, they sponsor a 10-week program called Clean Beauty Summer School, offering education, networking, and mentorship to BIPOC-founded beauty brands. Their goal? To narrow the funding gap for women of color entrepreneurs.
With luxurious choices for less than $25, Tower 28 will be your new go-to for beauty gifts and can be found online, or at Sephora and Credo.
Save 15% off with code T28XBill15
2. BLK & Bold
Pernell Cezar found his ‘aha’ moment over a cup of coffee at a high-end café and tapped his best friend, Rod Johnson, to start a business that would serve a higher purpose. Launched in 2018, BLK & BOLD Specialty Beverages is now a social impact brand that funds under-resourced youth programs with coffee lovers as the catalyst.
It’s been celebrated as the first nationally distributed Black-owned coffee company and was recently listed at the top of Inc. 's 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies. Their products are now available in over 11,000 stores across the US, allowing them to fulfill their vision of donating 5% of total profits to programs that are empowering youth.
News that’s been brewing? The duo just recently announced their game-changing partnership with entrepreneur, legendary Hall of Fame athlete, and esteemed coach, Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders. He joins the company as co-owner and social change leader and will be directly involved in amplifying BLK & Bold’s impact through marketing, creative, business development, and strategic partnerships.
Save 20% off with code BILL20
3. Saranoni
What started as a way to support their daughter born with a congenital condition has become a cozy, global brand of luxury blankets and gifts for families around the world. Emily Peterson co-founded Saranoni with her late husband, Nathan, while raising three small children. Their mission was simple: to bring warmth, comfort, and help others connect in meaningful ways with those they love most.
Today, Emily is a mom of 6, a new dog owner, passionate small business enthusiast, and classical music lover. Each blanket is made with the finest yarn, hand-cut and sewn, and made to last for years. Saranoni prides itself on their global mission work and relationships they’ve built with their makers who are like family.
We recommend their buttery soft lush blanket for your little one, an XL grand faux fur weighted blanket, or their cloud-like Bamboni robe for the end of a long day. And in the words of her late husband, Nathan, “moments become memories.”
Save 20% off code BILL20
4. Brooklyn Candle Studio
What happens when a finance-techie-fashionista-turned-designer opens a candle shop? You get Brooklyn Candle Studio, a woman-owned candle haven now housed in a 10,000 square foot workshop in Industry City in Sunset Park.
Founder Tamara Mayne studied Fine Art and Economics and worked in finance and technology before enrolling at the Fashion Institute of Technology to study graphic design. What began as an obsessive hobby making candles for friends quickly grew into a thriving business.
Today, Brooklyn Candle Studio is known for its luxury, eco-friendly candles, and full sensory experiences. Each candle is made with 100% soy wax derived from American-grown soy beans for a clean burn and lead-free cotton wicks. All of their products are petroleum-free, cruelty-free, phthalate-free, 100% vegan, and hand-poured and labeled by an in-house artisan team
We recommend gift shopping for candle lovers that value sustainability and their featured scent families like aromatic, citrus, woodsy, fruity, etc.
Save 15% off Code BILL15
5. Salsa Queen
Salsa Queen is the legal name of both a woman and the company she founded to provide for her 7 kids. The company’s sugar skull logo is in loving memory of her first-born son, who died of leukemia. Despite these early challenges, Salsa Queen now has dips and salsa in 1,500 stores across 30 states, plus their online sales.
Offering bold, authentic taste with no preservatives or fillers, their gourmet salsa flavors (like mango pineapple) now come in two forms—traditional and freeze dried. That’s right, freeze dried. Whether you’re stocking up for a weekend camping trip or a one-way flight to Mars, buying just 5 bags will get you free shipping in the US.
Save 33% off their new variety pack with BILL33
6. Mixhers
The end of the year is the best time of year to reset, prepare for newness and prioritize wellness. Jess Toolson, founder of Mixhers, knows this all too well after suffering from debilitating PMS symptoms after the birth of her twins. Turning to her friend and holistic health practitioner, Cody Sanders, for solutions, the two formulated a hormone imbalance treatment and launched their product, Hertime PMS.
The all-natural remedy of highly absorbable, hormone-friendly supplements has sold more than 7 million sticks to address the hormonal chaos causing negative symptoms throughout every stage of womanhood. Over the past four years, Mixhers has positioned itself as the hormone health brand for women, now offering over 22 products that address needs like menopause, focus, energy, sleep, libido, digestion, hydration, etc.
Shop small and grab one for a friend who could use a boost of wellness, and don’t forget one for yourself.
Save 20% OFF with code BILLHOLIDAY
7. Citrus Pear
McKenzie Rockwood worked with hospital patients as a registered dietitian before founding Citrus Pear to meet an important need: making healthy eating easy. Citrus Pear’s meal delivery is located throughout the intermountain west and has over 25 registered dietitians working together to help customers' lives be balanced.
If you happen to live there or know someone who does, what they’re offering is almost too good to be true: healthy, simple, and delicious meal kits that let you spend less time in the kitchen and more time living.
From carne asada street tacos to chicken gyros and Thai peanut tofu stir-fry, the diversity of flavors on their 90-recipe menu will feel like a world tour in your freezer. Plus, they take EBT/SNAP benefits to make these lip-smacking, home-cooked meals even more affordable for kids who live with food insecurity.
8. Alala
As a child in Singapore, Denise Lee grew up in her family’s clothing manufacturing business and used her entrepreneurial exposure to build a multimillion-dollar athleisure brand in the US from scratch.
Denise’s business idea struck while preparing for an NYC triathlon. Frustrated by the lack of stylish yet functional activewear, she created Alala to combine fashion-forward designs with all-day wear. The brand now designs luxury activewear for women and is now carried in over 100 major retailers like Bloomingdales and Neiman Marcus.
Favorited by celebrities like Gigi Hadid and Reese Witherspoon, their activewear and athleisure sets come in several different combinations for yoga enthusiasts, loungers. and bedtime belles.
Looking to unplug and destress before the busy holiday season? Shop their best-selling collection for a little workout and a lot more ahhhhhh.
9. Biscuit Love
The food-service industry is infamous for its long hours, minimal pay, and no benefits. But not Biscuit Love. They offer every employee a huge step up with above-average wages, PTO, and healthcare—plus leadership coaching, mental health and recovery resources, and even finance education.
Want to support the Biscuit crew? Eat at their diners in Tennessee or Alabama, or order their diner gifts online. We have our eye on the mini jam sampler and the mint-green diner mugs. Okay, the Love Dust, too—this unusual blend of spices sounds too weird not to try.
Whatever you pick, you’ll feel great doing business with a company that makes “breakfast for good.”
Save $20 off with code GOLDB3LLYIT
10. SCOUT Bags
SCOUT is the brainchild of Deb Waterman Johns. Her surprisingly affordable bags can carry just about anything—including 2 charitable organizations. Deb’s GO BO Fund helps local families and children with hospital bills, and her Secret Santa DC provides holiday gifts for underprivileged kids every year. Delivered, of course, in SCOUT bags.
For your own holiday shopping, these oh-so-usable bags include grocery totes, cooler bags, storage bags, smaller bags for accessories, and much more.
Best of all, be sure to check out SCOUT’s signature gift bags—for a festive, fashionably wrapped holiday season.
11. Cuyana
Cuyana is a luxury brand that believes less is more—especially, less waste. The entire collection, from its cashmere bandanas to its Packable Ecuador Hat is made of 100% sustainably certified materials. And 100% of its suppliers are committed to a code of ethical conduct and environmental responsibility.
In fact, the brand’s highest goal is to sell timeless pieces of heritage craftsmanship that people will keep, use, and wear for years to come. So if you’re in the mood to explore a bit of luxury this Small Business Saturday, start right here.
12. Favor Care Organics
Favor Care Organics offers solutions for dry, sensitive scalp and skin. Their products are 100% plant based and cruelty free. With a commitment to being good for the planet as well as your skin, here’s some more stuff they don’t use—parabens, plastics, SLS, dyes, hormone disruptors, immunotoxins, petrochemicals, phthalates, steroids, mineral oil, or silicone.
Treat your skin to some unrefined, organic ingredients this holiday season. For Small Business Saturday, shop their products for body, skin, and hair, with more coming soon. Don’t miss this sampler pack of specialty soaps or this lotion-imbued candle in 3 different scents.
Shop our 2024 BILL Gift Guide
For even more small business shopping, check out our 2024 BILL Gift Guide with special discounts on everything from children’s learning crates to organic cotton bedding, natural dog treats, extra soft clothing, and more.
FAQ
How to get certified as a minority-owned business
There are several ways to get certified as a minority-owned business. The US Chamber of Commerce recommends certification through the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC). The Small Business Association (SBA) also offers a certification and business development program, and many states offer their own programs for local businesses. If you’d like to be certified as a minority-owned business, be sure to research the options available in your own state as well as these national programs.
