Small Business Saturday and Giving Tuesday 2023 in Wabash County: Featuring Make It Your Own Art Studio

The Grow Wabash County team is celebrating all of the small businesses and nonprofits in Wabash County, IN this Small Business Saturday (November 25) and Giving Tuesday (November 28). We are extremely thankful for these organizations, all of their hard work, and the sheer delight and wonder they bring to our community.

Small Business Saturday

Small Business Saturday takes place annually on the Saturday after Thanksgiving when people are saying their “thank yous” and in the giving spirit. American Express founded Small Business Saturday in 2010 to encourage consumers to shop small during the holiday season. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has cosponsored the celebration since 2011 which has grown into a movement supporting small businesses. 

In November of last year, American Express reported the results of its 2022 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey. The study found that Small Business Saturday drove approximately $17.9 billion in sales in 2022 and that $0.68 of every dollar spent at a U.S. small business stays within the local area. Not only do small businesses strengthen local economies, but they also generated 63 percent of new jobs from 1995 to 2021.

This year, Small Business Saturday falls on November 25th, and we hope that residents of Wabash County consider showing their support and shopping local! This meaningful day can act as an excuse to treat yourself at some of your favorite local mom-and-pop shops, independent retailers, restaurants, cafes, and service providers while giving back at the same time. We also recommend that Wabash County-based small businesses look into these resources provided by American Express and tips from Shopify as a marketing guide for Small Business Saturday.

Visit Make It Your Own Art Studio this Small Business Saturday

Make It Your Own Art Studio in Downtown Wabash offers studio time for painting ceramics, with over 75 different pieces of bisque to choose from. Classes and workshops are also available such as canvas, board, and pottery painting, wheel throwing, slab work, and mosaics.

Karen Eilts-Walter started Make It Your Own Art Studio in December of 2001 and it officially opened in April of 2002. She has had a positive experience working in Wabash County and an abundance of customers.

“My business is only open part time on the weekends because I have other jobs,” said Eilts-Walter. “I think I could be open full time now with all the visitors coming to Wabash County and it would be busy. Through the years, it has been steady for me just to be open on the weekends or any time by appointment.”

Eilts-Walter likes that Make It Your Own provides people with a space to relax, allowing them to get creative. She loves seeing her customers making exciting memories as well as keepsakes that last.

“I also love my art camps that I have for two weeks in June,” Eilts-Walter continued. “I love connecting with the children, and then seeing them come back as they become teenagers, and then young adults.”

Make a gift for your loved ones this holiday season! The studio is open on Fridays from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the Fall and Winter hours for Sundays are 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. It is also open by appointment.

We at Grow Wabash County deeply appreciate all of the wonderful small businesses in Wabash County. 

Giving Tuesday in Wabash County, IN

Giving Tuesday was launched in 2012 to inspire people to do good and give back in communities across the world. It is now celebrated annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, and this year falls on November 28th. Like Small Business Saturday, it has become a movement promoting generosity and collaboration with nonprofits and charities everywhere. 

Last year, GivingTuesday raised $3.1 billion in one day for charitable causes nationwide. The nonprofit sector is the third largest employer in the U.S., providing approximately 12.3 million jobs according to the most recent data from 2016. 

Nonprofits and charities in Wabash county continue to make a positive difference by helping children, animals, the underprivileged, the environment, and more. We at Grow Wabash County hope that Wabash County community members will consider making a monetary donation or volunteering to these organizations. We are extremely grateful for all of the nonprofits and charities in Wabash County, including:

• 85 Hope 
• Arc of Wabash County, Inc. 
• Belgian Draft Horse Corporation of America 
• Bowen Center 
• Community Foundation of Wabash County 
• Daniel's Place, Inc.
• Don Wood Foundation
• Downtown Wabash, Inc. 
• First Friends Early Learning Ministry 
• Freedom Academy
• Friends Counseling
• Grow Wabash County
• Hands of Hope
• Heartland Career Center
• Honeywell Foundation 
• Indiana Tech
• Indiana University Kokomo
• Ivy Tech Community College
• Josiah White’s
• Learn More Center
• LIFE Center 
• Lighthouse Mission of Wabash County 
• Living Well in Wabash County CoA, Inc.
• Manchester Alive
• Manchester Community Schools
• Manchester University
• Metropolitan School District (MSD) of Wabash County
• Pathfinder Services, Inc.
• Paul Speicher-Ralph Naragon Advised Non-Permanent Fund
• Purdue Extension Wabash County
• Regional Chamber of Northeast Indiana
• Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana
• Transform Consulting Group 
• Vernon Health & Rehabilitation 
• Visit Wabash County 
• Wabash Carnegie Public Library
• Wabash City Schools
• Wabash County CASA
• Wabash County Christmas Spirit 
• Wabash County Habitat for Humanity 
• Wabash County Historical Museum 
• Wabash County Solid Waste Management
• Wabash County United Fund, Inc. 
• Wabash County YMCA
• Wabash First UMC

Support Small Businesses and Nonprofits in Wabash County, IN

Our team at Grow Wabash County hopes that you can find some time to shop small at local businesses and lend a helping hand to local nonprofits. Small Business Saturday and Giving Tuesday are opportunities to shop and give back, plus any way you can help throughout the year is equally important to our community. If you have questions about growing your business in Wabash County, feel free to give us a call at (260) 563-5258 or email us at info@growwabashcounty.com.