Gifting that gives back: Supporting small businesses

79% of consumers say that their purchasing decisions are influenced by a brand’s sustainability practices. But when you think about sustainability, do you solely think about environmental sustainability? What about economic or social sustainability? 

When our CEO & Founder Sara Rodell started Loop & Tie, she knew she wanted to build a company that made a positive, sustainable impact in each of these three areas.

In our blog post highlighting our partnership with Dollar Donation Club, we share about the environmental sustainability initiatives we support. In this article, we are going to share more about some of the ways we’re supporting social and economic sustainability.

How supporting small businesses supports social and economic sustainability

From our conception, we’ve considered not just what we sell, but why we sell. Our success shouldn’t just positively impact us; as we continue to grow and scale, our success should help other companies grow and scale as well.

When considering which businesses to support through our growth, we knew there was an opportunity to redirect corporate spending power and capital — normally distributed to large manufacturers of mass-produced items — to small business owners.  As a woman-owned and founded business, it was especially important to us to direct that capital to small businesses owned by individuals from historically marginalized communities. 

This year alone, we’ve partnered with over 410 independent creators, makers, and artisans, allowing us to improve both economic equity and economic sustainability. We are in a unique position to connect gift recipients with women-owned, BIPOC-owned, and LGBTQIA+-owned businesses that they otherwise might not have heard of. This amplification of a small business owner’s products and the stories behind them plays an important part in building sustainability in local economies. 

Supporting small businesses has a big impact. Research shows that small businesses employ millions of people and are more likely to be actively engaged in giving back to their communities. With active engagement in communities comes stronger and more sustainable social transformation. And it’s through that social transformation that we can make a positive impact on our future. 

As we continue to find new ways to support sustainable causes, we encourage you to consider how your corporate gifting strategy can also give back. We’re thrilled to introduce you to just a few of the many small business owners your gifting programs can support! 

Meet some of the small business makers in our marketplace

1. Modern Picnic

• About: Modern Picnic is a woman-owned company that was launched in 2018 with the mission to provide women with a fashionable, yet sustainable alternative to the traditional lunchbox.
  
• How they make an impact: Not only does Modern Picnic provide products that help reduce the waste of paper or plastic lunch bags, but as a company, they’re passionate about giving back to causes that align with their values of sustainability, health, community, and equality.
  
• Products in our marketplace:
• The Large Luncher & Scarf: This is not your average lunchbox. With its insulated interior and vegan leather exterior, you can fit your breakfast, lunch, dinner, and more. It also comes with a pure silk scarf that can be worn on its own or around your bag.

• The Lunch Pouch: This is your new go-to insulated pouch that fits all of your meals and snacks. It can be worn on its own or in your Modern Picnic tote bag. 
  

• The Lunch Snacker: For the days you don't have time to pack a full lunch, bring your favorite snacks in this insulated pouch to keep them cool and protected. It can be worn alone or thrown in your work bag for on-the-go snacking. 

• The Mini Luncher: This bag is a smaller alternative to the traditional lunchbox, complete with an insulated interior and vegan leather exterior. 

• Modern Picnic Backpack: Be prepared to take on your day hands-free with this backpack, complete with an insulated interior, vegan leather exterior, and a padded laptop sleeve. 

These items are available in our $250, $150, $100, and $75 gift collections.

2. JanaeJavan

• About: JanaeJavan is a woman and BIPOC-owned brand created by self-taught designer JaNae Hickman.
• How they make an impact: All of their products ranging from textiles to body care to home accessories are handcrafted using natural ingredients and sustainable practices, including supporting an ethical supply chain and reducing environmental impact.
• Products in our marketplace:
• Beard Oil: This beard oil contains sunflower oil, rosehip oil, avocado oil, argan oil, jojoba oil, and essential oils, helping to nourish and protect your skin after shaving. 

• Bibby Apron: This handmade unisex apron comes in two options: denim and neutral. The denim option is made from Japanese selvedge denim and the neutral option is made from 100% Italian linen. The pockets are divided to provide space for objects of varying sizes. 

• Body Oil: This blend of natural carrier oils promotes collagen and helps reduce signs of wrinkles. It contains rosehip oil that is rich in Vitamin B-Carotene, which helps with burns, scars, and wrinkles, and Vitamin A, which penetrates skin layers to help moisturize skin deeply. 

• Concrete Planter: These natural, hand-poured cement planters are perfect for housing your plants. Each pot is roughly 3.5 inches wide and has its own unique character due to variations of each piece from being handmade.

• DRANKS coasters: This set of hand-pressed coasters are made with 100% vegan tan leather and are inspired by the African American Vernacular English or Southern American English word 'Drinks'. 

• Lava Stone Diffuser: This concrete diffuser with lava stones and essential oil blend is inspired by Javan’s time spent in Hawaii. The lava stone is a grounding stone that strengthens one's connection to the Earth and gives us strength through times of change or transition. The essential oil blend has a therapeutic quality and includes lavender, tangerine, rose, Ylang Ylang, peppermint, lemongrass, amber, and orange oil.
  

• Lemongrass and Grapefruit Body Wash: This body wash has a unisex citrusy, earthy, and woody scent and a luxurious texture. It will produce a rich lather while hydrating and moisturizing your skin.

• Vegan Leather Coffee Sleeve: This eco-friendly alternative helps keep your hands protected while reducing waste from one-time-use sleeves. 

These items are available in our $100, $50, and $25 gift collections.

3. Reålea Skincare

• About: Reålea Skincare, a California public benefit corporation, was founded by Nick Grossenbacher and Crispin Clarke. Using Nick’s knowledge of traditional medicine and alchemy, they partnered to give new life to these timeless-yet-practical and environmentally harmonious techniques.
  
• How they make an impact: Reålea Skincare is focused on making a positive environmental impact by using natural ingredients and sustainable packaging. The packaging used to ship products is made from upcycled sugarcane byproducts and is intended to be repurposed or composted, reducing waste in landfills. Each product container is also intended to be reused, whether by the customer or the company. If you don’t want to keep your jars, Reålea Skincare will cover shipping and provide a $40 store credit when customers return 5 jars at a time.
  
• Products in our marketplace:
• Astrum Beauty Oil: This facial serum is great for sensitive skin. It’s dense in nutrients and absorbs quickly for a soft dewy complexion. 

• Aurora Beauty Balm: This healing and transformative beauty balm uses nature’s best sources of nourishment to provide a base that gives your skin all the building blocks it needs to regenerate and express its natural health. It’s meant to be used on the face, neck, and hands in the morning to heal dry, cracked skin; reduce inflammation, scar tissue, and redness; and reverse stress and damage to return skin to its ideal nature.

• Imber Refreshing Facial Mist: This tonifying and uplifting facial mist promotes cellular regeneration and elasticity, encourages a healthy facial microbiome and pH, and calms inflammation, irritation, and redness. As a bonus, it also helps ground the spirits with the mood-stabilizing and stress-reducing effects of lemon balm and elevates the soul with the anti-depressant and anti-anxiety actions of Frankincense. 

• Meridiem Body Butter: This body butter helps keep your skin hydrated, elastic, and nourished. It should be applied liberally across large areas of your body to nourish, protect, and shine. It spreads easily and absorbs cleanly, so your skin stays moisturized with a protective barrier while feeling light as air. 

• Reålea Alchemical Skincare Set: Restore your natural balance with this unique alchemical skincare set. This set includes 3 balms, 1 serum, and 1 toner to help nourish your whole body from head to toe, from surface to the deep tissue below. 

• Reålea Skincare Trio: This curated trio of daily face care products includes 1 balm, 1 serum, and 1 toner. Together, they help combat stress, protect against damage, and encourage a radiant, healthy glow. 

• Tenebris Soothing Balm: This soothing balm is great to use at the end of the day to help soothe aches, reduce inflammation, ease tension, and stimulate circulation and healing.

These items are available in our $500, $250, $150, $100, $75, and $50 gift collections.

Are you ready to make the maximum impact with your gifts? Send one of our gift-of-choice collections supporting small business makers and creators.