Check out additional BILL resources
Learn moreSmall businesses are the backbone of our nation's financial stability. In fact, 99.9% of American businesses are small businesses, representing 43.5% of our gross domestic product.
What lifts small business, lifts the economy.
Founded by American Express in 2010 and officially co-sponsored by the US Small Business Administration in 2011, Small Business Saturday drives massive support for this sector, fueling the US economy through the critical holiday season.
At BILL, we champion small and midsize businesses (SMBs) and are committed to supporting them. This Small Business Saturday, we're highlighting SMBs led by women and racial/ethnic minorities. These businesses bring diverse perspectives and solutions, enriching our communities and the marketplace.
Challenges faced by women-owned businesses
Almost one out of every ten working women in the United States is a business owner, and yet women represent only 21.4% of all employer firms. Additionally, most women-owned businesses struggle to find the capital they need to grow.
According to the Female Founders Fund, even though companies with female founders perform 63% better than those founded by men, female-founded companies received a meager 2.7% of the total venture capital dollars doled out in 2019. Moreover, women entrepreneurs often juggle business and family responsibilities, which can impact their business growth and sustainability.
The unique struggles of minority-owned businesses
Racial/ethnic minority-owned businesses also face a unique set of challenges. While they represent about 18% of all US businesses, access to capital remains a significant barrier. Data shows that Black entrepreneurs, for example, have historically received less than 2% of all venture capital annually.
This lack of funding is critical, as it restricts their ability to scale, invest in new technologies, and compete in the marketplace. Moreover, minority-owned businesses often grapple with market access challenges and networking opportunities, which are crucial for business growth.
Small Business Saturday: 12 small businesses you won't want to miss
This Small Business Saturday, we're excited to feature, in no particular order, 12 racial/ethnic minority- and women-owned businesses that exemplify innovation, resilience, and community spirit. We're offering special discount codes from BILL to support these small businesses and our customers.
As we immerse ourselves in the holiday spirit, let's remember the power of our choices. Supporting minority- and women-owned businesses isn't just a good deed—it's a powerful way to drive economic growth, foster diversity, and build stronger communities. Let's make this holiday season a time of joy, not just for our loved ones but for the small businesses that are the backbone of our communities.
1. Dagne Dover
Founded by 3 women in 2013, Dagne Dover designs bags that look fantastic while keeping busy humans organized. Their eco-friendly initiatives are as impressive as their wares, with extensive use of recycled materials and a wide selection of designs that are 100% vegan. They even donate excess inventory and returns to the Shelter Partnership of Los Angeles.
Our personal favorites? The mini bag collection. No, wait, the Brooklyn Flap Top Backpack. And don’t forget the Nova Sling Bag, with more than a dozen places to hook a carabiner (we counted). Hmm, maybe you’d better look at them all.
Save 15% with code BILLHoliday15.
2. Nossa Familia Coffee
Is it a cafe? An online coffee shop? A hub for international tourism? Actually, it’s all of these. Visit Nossa Familia Coffee’s 3 locations in Portland, Oregon, or shop their impressive selection of farm-direct, sustainably roasted coffee online.
If you’re feeling adventurous, book a guided coffee tour of Guatemala. You can even hike to the top of a volcano or learn how to make chocolate from scratch. (Okay, we might have to go twice.)
Have a coffee aficionado in your life? An online gift card is the perfect holiday treat. Between the line of family-grown coffees and the single-origin microlots, they’ll feel like they’ve brewed up nirvana.
Save 15% with code Bill15.
3. Tower 28
Tower 28 is a woman-founded company that specializes in high-performance, irritant-free beauty products for sensitive skin. Their makeup is simply gorgeous, and it’s Certified Clean at Sephora. And at Credo. And they meet the National Eczema Association guidelines too.
On Earth Day, they donate 100% of their profits to ocean conservation, but that’s just the start. Every year, they sponsor a 10-week program called Clean Beauty Summer School, offering education, networking, and mentorship to BIPOC-founded beauty brands. Their goal? To narrow the funding gap for women of color entrepreneurs.
With luxurious choices for less than $25, Tower 28 will be your new go-to for beauty gifts.
Save 15% with code 2023BILL15.
4. Packed with Purpose
The gift baskets at Packed with Purpose are so downright mouth-watering you might forget how much good you’re doing every time you buy one. But founder Leeatt Rothschild remembers. Making a difference is how the whole company started.
Since 2017, they’ve made a difference in nearly 1.5 million lives—with an annual impact report to prove it. Shop by purpose, price, or sheer delectability. Hot Chocolate & S’mores? Yes, please. Deluxe Charcuterie Board? Don’t mind if we do!
With choices for friends, family, and colleagues and even branded gifting for corporate events, Packed with Purpose is the perfect choice for gift baskets all year long.
Save 10% with code BILL10.
5. Citrus Pear
Citrus Pear’s meal delivery is available today in Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, and Utah. If you happen to live there or know someone who does, what they’re offering is almost too good to be true. Healthy, delicious meal kits. That you can make in a slow cooker. For less money than you probably pay for groceries.
From carne asada street tacos to chicken gyros and Thai peanut tofu stir-fry, the diversity of flavors on their 90-recipe menu will feel like a world tour in your freezer. Plus, they take EBT/SNAP benefits to make these lip-smacking, home-cooked meals even more affordable for kids who live with food insecurity.
Save $10 with code BILL10.
6. Biscuit Love
The food-service industry is infamous for its long hours, minimal pay, and no benefits. But not Biscuit Love. They offer every employee a huge step up with above-average wages, PTO, and healthcare—plus leadership coaching, mental health and recovery resources, and even finance education.
Want to support the Biscuit crew? Eat at their diners in Tennessee or Alabama, or order their diner gifts online. We have our eye on the mini jam sampler and the mint-green diner mugs. Okay, the Love Dust, too—this unusual blend of spices sounds too weird not to try.
Whatever you pick, you’ll feel great doing business with a company that makes “breakfast for good.”
Save $20 when you shop their GoldBelly biscuit baskets with code GOLDB3LLYIT.
7. Salsa Queen
Salsa Queen is the legal name of both a woman and the company she founded to provide for her 7 kids. The company’s sugar skull logo is in loving memory of her first-born son, who died of leukemia. Despite these early challenges, Salsa Queen now has dips and salsa in 1,500 stores across 30 states, plus their online sales.
Offering bold, authentic taste with no preservatives or fillers, their gourmet salsa flavors (like mango pineapple) now come in two forms—traditional and freeze dried. That’s right, freeze dried. Whether you’re stocking up for a weekend camping trip or a one-way flight to Mars, buying just 5 bags will get you free shipping in the US.
Save 20% with code BILL.
8. Timberlyne
Timberlyne builds majestic, one-of-a-kind homes and barns that look like they belong in the movies. Started more than 17 years ago in a family driveway, Timberlyne was originally known as Sand Creek Post & Beam. By 2015, it had received the NBDC Sustainability of the Year Award for its dedication to using sustainably farmed, chemical-free wood as its primary building material.
If you’re not quite ready to order a custom-built home this Small Business Saturday, their pre-designed packages are perfectly gorgeous and less than you might think.
Or have some fun daydreaming about backcountry life under the wide-open sky with the free 3D barn designer.
9. SCOUT Bags
SCOUT is the brainchild of Deb Waterman Johns. Her surprisingly affordable bags can carry just about anything—including 2 charitable organizations. Deb’s GO BO Fund helps local families and children with hospital bills, and her Secret Santa DC provides holiday gifts for underprivileged kids every year. Delivered, of course, in SCOUT bags.
For your own holiday shopping, these oh-so-usable bags include grocery totes, cooler bags, storage bags, smaller bags for accessories, and much more.
Best of all, be sure to check out SCOUT’s signature gift bags—for a festive, fashionably wrapped holiday season.
10. Cuyana
Cuyana is a luxury brand that believes less is more—especially, less waste. The entire collection, from its cashmere bandanas to its Packable Ecuador Hat is made of 100% sustainably certified materials. And 100% of its suppliers are committed to a code of ethical conduct and environmental responsibility.
In fact, the brand’s highest goal is to sell timeless pieces of heritage craftsmanship that people will keep, use, and wear for years to come. So if you’re in the mood to explore a bit of luxury this Small Business Saturday, start right here.
11. Alala
Minority female-founded and 100% women-led, Alala designs luxury activewear for women who need to move from the gym to the boardroom without missing a beat. From sweats to sweaters to cashmere crews, you’ll go from working out to warming up by the fireplace in style.
They’ve even made your Small Business Saturday shopping easy with these holiday gift guide collections covering activewear and athleisure in 9 different combinations, from yoga enthusiasts to loungewear and pajama sets.
Looking to unplug and destress? Pick up a mindful focus hourglass set so you can time those workouts with a little less screen time and a little more ahhhhhh.
12. Favor Care Organics
Favor Care Organics offers solutions for dry, sensitive scalp and skin. Their products are 100% plant based and cruelty free. With a commitment to being good for the planet as well as your skin, here’s some more stuff they don’t use—parabens, plastics, SLS, dyes, hormone disruptors, immunotoxins, petrochemicals, phthalates, steroids, mineral oil, or silicone.
Treat your skin to some unrefined, organic ingredients this holiday season. For Small Business Saturday, shop their products for body, skin, and hair, with more coming soon. Don’t miss this sampler pack of specialty soaps or this lotion-imbued candle in 3 different scents.
Save 20% with code BILL.
Shop our 2023 BILL Gift Guide
For even more small business shopping, check out our 2023 BILL Gift Guide with special discounts on everything from themed subscription boxes to fresh-baked cookies, stand-up paddle boards, organic cotton bedding, and more.
FAQ
How to get certified as a minority-owned business
There are several ways to get certified as a minority-owned business. The US Chamber of Commerce recommends certification through the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC). The Small Business Association (SBA) also offers a certification and business development program, and many states offer their own programs for local businesses. If you’d like to be certified as a minority-owned business, be sure to research the options available in your own state as well as these national programs.