MT. JULIET, Tenn. (WTVF) — Nearly one in four people will spend their holiday shopping dollars at a small business this year. The owners of AR Workshop in Mt. Juliet are encouraging shoppers to go out of their way to do so.
"I have a way different appreciation for the people on either side of our walls," said Haley Jones, co-owner of AR Workshop. "I've never been able to appreciate it until now from this side of it."
Jones and her mother Tina Pressley opened their do-it-yourself craft and paint studio in March.
Before owning their business, neither of them really knew what it took.
"There's a lot of behind the scenes that takes place to make it a perfect experience every single time," Tina Pressley said. "We feel like a lot of it is in our control, but a lot of it is out of control. At some point in time we just hand it over to God and say we've given it our best effort and whoever walks through that door, wherever that leads us we're willing to go."
With more than 30 million small businesses in the country, Jones and Pressley are advocating for shoppers to seek out stores like AR Workshop in the month of December.
"Yes we go to the big name stores, but when they buy a gift card here or they come make a Christmas ornament, they're helping our families and giving back to our communities," said Jones.
The mother and daughter hope people spend their new year in small businesses as well.
"When all the crazy in December is over they can come and enjoy a good time after the holiday season...it's a gift in it of itself to sit here at these tables and craft and be together," said Jones.
