Every dollar spent at a small business tells a story, whether that is shopping for hand-made jewelry, supporting a local farm or gifting local art. According to the Small Business Administration, small businesses added 17.9 million jobs in 2023. Carbondale’s Chamber of Commerce has over 400 members, which means small businesses are right in your back yard.

“You might not be able to find something similar in a box store, but, you know, my stuff is made with love and by hand. I really put a lot of time and energy and passion into it,” local small business owner Chris McKinley said. 

McKinley, a local jewelry maker, has been perfecting her craft for around 15 years for her company, Kinley Jewelry. McKinley sells her jewelry in many local shops in southern Illinois, including Cristaudo’s, which is home to Sixpence, where several different local makers and artists sell products. 

McKinley makes jewelry from real gemstones, and likes to make nature-based products, with several pieces featuring moons, stars, mushrooms and themes of nature. 

Many items bought online require shipping, several from outside of the United States. The transportation of shipped goods is responsible for a huge portion of the CO2 emissions across the globe. According to Earth.org, a non-profit environmental news site, shipping and returning products accounts for 37% of the total GHG emissions. 

“It’s increasing the pollution of the Earth because everyone has to have something that comes from across the planet instead of just looking in your own backyard. You know, you can probably find what you need here if you really looked,” McKinley said. 

Another pro to shopping locally is that you can return products in person and not have the hassle of shipping. 

“The beautiful thing about buying local too is, for example, with my jewelry, if anybody ever has problems with anything, which once in a while something (breaks). A chain will get yanked off of the neck by a little kid or something, I do free repairs… I want my customers to be happy,” McKinley said.

Shopping locally can help consumers uncover new places in the area, especially during the holiday season. Rolling Oak Alpaca Ranch in Makanda is a 10-acre alpaca ranch home to over 20 alpacas and other animals. 

Owners Judy Hoepker and Morgan Stevenson have a heart for the farm, the environment and endless gratitude for local shoppers. 

Hoepker explained why it is so important to keep money local during the holiday season, especially for Rolling Oak. 

“A lot of small businesses rely on the local shopping and keeping your dollars in the community,” Hoepker said. “Every dollar you spend here helps us provide the services that we do for the community. It allows us to do our free Christmas event. It allows us to do our free alpaca farm days without having to charge admission.” 

Shopping local is also about the experience, Stevenson said.  

“For us here, they can actually meet the Alpacas that provided the fiber for a lot of the stuff we make here. We do hand make a lot of it, not all of it but it is all made from Alpaca. So even just being able to connect that with an animal in the field is really special,” Stevenson said. 

“There is a connection. People nowadays like to have an experience. It’s not always about all the things we can give or that we have. They want that experience. Even by offering that free event, maybe they buy an alpaca toy or a pair of socks as a remembrance of that experience they had.” Hoepker added. 

Rolling Oak offers a free Christmas event every year called Christmas with the Alpacas that runs for three weekends, including the last weekend of November, and the first two weekends of December. The event includes many holiday festivities, and is free to the public thanks to local shoppers. 

 “Alpacas are actually eco-friendly. They are very gentle on the ground. They have a soft padded foot, so they are not tearing up the ground like larger livestock do… And you can compost the manure,” Hoepker said. 

Rolling Oak has several products besides the experience of meeting the animals. They have various hand made items from alpaca fur, including socks, bracelets and headbands. They also offer goat soap, which is felted by hand in alpaca fur. 

“Alpacas are unique. So they are going to be providing something to their family members as a gift that they may have never had or seen before. It’s going to be really special, especially for those who are hard to buy for. Also, the connection to the farm, animals and area. These are living creatures. They are providing their fiber, they can get a connection with a living animal with a name and a personality,” Stevenson said. 

An SIU alum, Brooke Yandle, owns Hawthorne Art which is home to various artists’ work, events, art classes and thrifted or donated art supplies at a discounted price. The donated supplies help Yandle teach artists a new craft at an affordable price. 

Yandle works on commissioned paintings, murals, signage and other projects. 

“I also have space for artists to sell their work. Even if you are not willing to buy something of mine, there is someone here that makes cool things. The reason I am doing that is I really want small artists to start thinking of themselves as business people and to be able to break free of a part time job,” Yandle said. 

Yandle explained how she was able to connect with the public through her small business. Yandle explains how people can meet and have a connection with her, but never at big corporations. 

“Even though we have had to be in the capitalist empire, the more money you don’t give to billionaires, the better off we’re all going to be,” Yandle said. 

Castle Perilous is a shop in downtown Carbondale with a niche variety of products, according to Scott Thorne, the store’s owner. Thorne said he takes pride in his store’s collection of games, miniatures, comic books, toys and much more. 

“The money that you spend in local stores stays in the community,” Thorne said. “I assume most people know that if you spend at a store like Walmart or Kohl’s, only about 17% goes back to funding to support the community. If you spend any money at a store like ours… somewhere between 40 to 60% of that money stays in the community. We buy from local suppliers, we pay local people. We pay taxes, we own the property. So, it just helps support where you live.” 

Thorne said that the store finds items curated to what the public wants. He explains that shoppers will find products in his store that are usually not available in big box stores. 

His staff, like the other small businesses, know the inventory well and are knowledgeable about the products they sell, he said. This gives customers an advantage when looking for a niche product, or if they have questions regarding inventory. 

“We can talk with you if you’re interested in comics. We can talk with you about the current storylines that are going on in comic books, because we know about that. You’re not going to find that in Barnes and Noble,” Thorne said. 

Castle Perilous also sells comics written by local authors. These are unique products customers cannot find in other places, especially big box stores. Thorne also hosts events for the community out of Castle Perilous, such as the upcoming Thanks-gaming. Thanks-gaming is an event for the public at Castle Perilous where the community can play table top games together and enjoy food. They also provide gift wrapping for customers, with no extra charge.

Businesses in Carbondale range anywhere from gaming stores to even bookstores that offered used books.

Sarah Heyer, the owner of Confluence Books in Carbondale, which sells used books and books written by local authors, stresses how important spending locally is. Confluence has over 40 books written by local authors in stock as well as a regional section all about southern Illinois.

Carbondale has a wide range of small businesses from gaming stores, to used book stores. All of these shops contribute to the local economy. 

“Shopping local has always made sense, now more than ever. It’s important to try and do it. A dollar spent locally, last I heard, can circulate 7 times before leaving town. So, you are not just spending one dollar in Carbondale. You are investing in the community for a longer period,” Heyer said. 

Confluence Books takes donations, which is better for the environment, as well. They also offer a bin of “gift ideas” for Christmas shoppers this season. 

“We have books you won’t find anywhere else because they aren’t new. Some local books will not appear on a national level, older books that a Barnes and Noble won’t carry because they just aren’t new enough,” Heyer said. 

Shopping locally can help you find one of a kind gifts, as these business owners explained. The season of giving is approaching and holiday shopping will continue to play a crucial role for local shops.

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