Let’s think small for the holidays and support small business across Canada this year

Small businesses are getting big support in attracting shoppers for the holidays with the launch of eQuo’s #GoSmallCanada small business directory and holiday gift guide. eQuo is a community-driven platform with a mission to support and empower small businesses, which is why it has launched this free directory. It’s designed to help consumers easily find, shop at, and buy gifts from small businesses over the holidays across Canada.

The holiday season is typically the most profitable time of the year for small businesses, but with Deloitte Canada’s 2022 Holiday Retail Outlook predicting a 17% decrease in household spending this season, many entrepreneurs are not optimistic. The report notes that while consumers will try to take advantage of Black Friday (November 25) and Cyber Monday (November 28) sales, 61% of those surveyed plan to do more local, in-store shopping to support their communities (an increase of 10% over last year).

“We’ve heard time and time again that Canadians prefer to support small business over large corporations, but we see a potential challenge with these goals: How do local businesses compete to showcase their specific products and services to customers who are looking for them?” notes Barry Hillier, eQuo’s Founder and CEO. “Our intention with the small business directory is to give small businesses national exposure so that Canadians can find local hidden gems no matter where they live.
We truly believe that every city deserves a thriving small business community, and when you choose to support small business, you support the entrepreneurs who care about their community and neighbourhood.”

In addition to listing and categorizing the many different businesses, products, and services available across the country, eQuo’s directory and gift guide enables users to source companies with founders from diverse communities, including businesses led by women, 2SLGBTQ+ community members, Indigenous persons, Black Canadians, new Canadians, and persons of colour. By supporting these communities, Canadians can help fuel economic prosperity AND close racial, gender, and wealth gaps that disproportionally affect people from these communities.

When Canadians choose to support small businesses, they also help create jobs, build their communities, and create a more diverse and interesting economy. And this holiday season, supporting small businesses in Canada is as easy as visiting www.gosmallcanada.com. Users can share their visit or purchase in their favourite social media channels using the hashtag #gosmallcanada to encourage others to do the same.

About eQuo
eQuo is on a mission to support small businesses and the entrepreneurs who are the backbone of our economy. The company is dedicated to ALL entrepreneurs, regardless of sex, age, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or gender expression, or disability. eQuo is committed to building the first inclusive platform to help small businesses find the support, funding, investors, capital, and customers they need to grow. For more information, visit www.equoshift.com and www.gosmallcanada.com.