BILLINGS — The Big Sky Economic Development launched a holiday gift guide Monday, hoping to make it easier for customers to shop local and boost Billings businesses.
The 63-page guide features 46 local businesses, highlighting a few of their products and holiday specials available this season as well as their websites or social media pages. It was free for businesses to be involved.
Big Sky Economic Development Small Business Development Coordinator Kayla Vokral put together the digital guide in an attempt to make it easier for shoppers to know whats available locally.
"We need people to hear about our business to be able to come and be patrons of them," Vokral said. "We have over 40 businesses participating and I'm excited. I think it will really impact them, and I'm excited to see that start happening."
For local business owners in the guide like Lucy Aspinwall of Aspinwall Mountain Wear at 103 N. Broadway, it's a great opportunity for free advertisement in a world where everything is becoming more digital.
"It's really easy for people to just get on their phones and do the Amazon thing or shop somewhere else," Aspinwall said. "Downtown and West End businesses locally here are shutting down because we're not shopping local."
Her struggles felt also by Jennifer Dillabaugh, the owner of Rock Creek Soaps at 2319 Fourth Ave. N., who said they feel the same competition with larger brands.
"It affects every business, I know it does," Dillabaugh said. "Even me as a consumer, it's tempting to go to Amazon."
Their stories are exactly why Vokral wanted to build the guide in the first place, creating something that she hopes will help both customers and business owners.
"Our holiday gift guide is more than a shopping resource," Vokral said. "It's a way to celebrate and support these local businesses that make our community unique."
The guide has been posted on the Big Sky Economic Development website — under the reports and publications tab — and the link has also been included on the organization's Facebook page.
"Some of them have events for Small Business Saturday. Some of them are doing Black Friday specials, and some of them are doing specials for the whole holiday season," Vokral said. "You get to see all of that in that guide."
It's an idea business owners are hopeful will make a big difference.
"I think it's going to be very valuable to the community and a great way to keep our resources right here where we live," Dillabaugh said.
