Bright Ideas for the Holidays: 2025 Small Business Gift Guide
The holidays are arriving after a year that has felt heavy for many small business owners. Tariffs have been on again, off again, and costs keep shifting, making it difficult for makers and creatives to plan, price, or stay ahead. Meanwhile, big corporations remain insulated, even as everyone else feels the strain.
This guide focuses on the people who keep showing up anyway. The makers, artists, and small business owners who pour their hearts into what they create and truly feel every order that comes in. This year, I’ve had the privilege of working with, buying from, or discovering creators whose work stayed with me long after the first conversation or purchase. They’re the kind of people and products you remember.
Shopping small means giving a gift that is unique and meaningful while supporting someone who is working hard to keep their dream going. It is a choice that creates value on both sides.
I’m excited to share a curated list of small businesses that genuinely stood out to me this year.
With Love Archive
Why I love them: Beautiful planners to help keep you organized
I had the honor of meeting Doris, the founder of With Love Archive when she won my first ever giveaway earlier this year. She won a free web audit and I had the privilege of going through her site and learning about all the wonderful planners, especially The Personal Archive. Planning has a special place in my heart. It keeps me focused, reduces anxiety, and helps me meet my goals.
The Personal Archive Starter System is your entry point into a world of intentional planning and memory-keeping. Thoughtfully designed to balance structure and creativity, it includes everything you need to begin documenting your life with purpose.
This curated set pairs their signature linen leather Archive Cover with a collection of core inserts: a six-month chronology, a project planning suite, and functional inventory pages. Together, they create a foundation that you can expand and customize as your archive grows.
Visit With Love Archive
2. Sarah Paints Pets
Why I love them: Adorable hand-painted pet portraits
I recently had the pleasure of meeting Sarah, a local Edmonton based artist, who specializes in painting portraits of pets. Her paintings make for perfect gifts for the animal lover in your life. Sarah is a new small business but I think her talent and artist’s eye will take her far.
The perfect, special, personal gift for the person in your life who is hard to shop for.
Every piece is custom and hand painted on canvas.
Pricing starts at $60 for these one-of-a-kind pieces.
With local (Edmonton area) delivery available.
To commission a painting dm Sarah on Instagram
3. Marcy’s Pet Kitchen
Why I love them: Marcy’s all-natural treats are specially crafted for dogs with sensitive stomachs, digestive issues, allergies, restricted diets, or even diabetic needs.
When we first got Rory, we thought she was allergic to something but we couldn’t figure out what. She’d get red and itchy, and for a bit we thought it might be chicken. So Tom and I went on a hunt for food/treats that were “safe”. It was a nightmare. There are so few options out there. In the end, Rory was a naughty girl and stole a whole rotisserie chicken off the counter. We watched very carefully for a reaction. None ever came. We’ve since discovered Rory has seasonal allergies. But it did teach us just how common allergies in dogs are, and the difficulty of finding treats that are allergy friendly.
Your furbaby deserves something in their stocking too!
Marcy has recently introduced the 1 oz On-The-Go treats — perfect for adventures big and small! Treat your pup with treats you know are safe for them.
They now available on Amazon.com, Walmart.com, MarcysPetKitchen.com, and in select stores across the US.
Shop Marcy’s Pet Kitchen
4. The New Trails Series
Why I love them: Written by award winning author, and all around wonderful human, Jody Norman, these LGBTQ+ Fantasy novels are immersive and entertaining.
A perfect gift for the book lover in your life! Best of all, two books are available in the series with another in the works!
Here’s a taste of what you’ll discover in these books:
Trapped in a life without purpose or escape, Troy is suddenly thrust into a different world, one of mystery and magic, where he must learn to trust -- in his companion Kieran, and in himself and his own learning as he navigates this strange and wondrous place.
Kieran, a stubbornly independent Guardian and energy worker in this new world, makes his own way until Troy crashes into his life, bringing change like a hot desert wind. The young men must grow together, slowly recognizing the bond of mind and soul that lies between them, one with the potential to make something greater of them both, if they have the courage to accept it.
Together they must face Aodhan, the Dark R'Guardian who wants to enslave Troy, using the outworlder's very soul to destroy Aodhan's own world in the name of saving it. And Kieran, junior to Aodhan, is the only one who can stand between them.
Will either of them take the journey they're called to, or survive it if they do?
Find the New Trails Series here
Christy has worked with animals for over 15 years, but it was a health crisis for her own dog that led her down the road of researching healthy pet toys, supplements, treats, etc.
Based on what she found, she launched her e-commerce store, selling carefully curated products.
Buying a toy or treat from her supports a small business, while giving your furbaby something to unwrap over the holidays too!
Each product is carefully selected by Christy and ships within the US.
Shop for your furry besties at XO Pet Nanny & Naturals
These are just a small handful of the amazing small business owners I’ve met this year, and this blog post is just a start to what I hope will become a yearly tradition for me. Curating this list reminded me how much talent and heart exists in the small business community, and how important it is to celebrate it. If you’re looking for gifts that feel personal, meaningful, and made with love, I hope this guide gives you a place to start. Supporting small businesses creates a ripple of good that reaches far beyond the holidays.
