SAN ANTONIO – The drinks at The Blend Nutrition and Gym all follow very specific directions. But owner Natalie Zernick said there’s no recipe for running a business.
“It took us day by day,” Zernick said. “This is our passion. This is what we want to do.”
Small Business Saturday comes around every year. It’s a day dedicated to building support for community-owned businesses and boosting the local economy. And this year for Zernick comes as her business celebrates one year.
“We rebranded and now a year later, we are finally expanding,” Zernick said. “We’re getting there.”
Zernick said as a small business owner, survival and building a brand is always top of mind. Small Business Saturday started back in 2010 but had its biggest push after the pandemic.
Erica Shimamura, the founder of the 4Goodness Project Inc., helped put on a pop-up event on Saturday at the Jefferson Bodega for businesses without their own storefronts to bolster small business sustainability.
“Accessibility and representation are everything,” Shimamura said. “These folks here are fearless in that pursuit. And I love them for it.”
Dozens of vendors lined up in the backyard of the bodega Saturday night. Megan Davila, the owner of Megan Made It, said her goal was to get her name out there.
“I just love the crowd,” Davila said. “It’s just great to support each other and just be our own entrepreneurs.”
Shimamura said there isn’t competition among the businesses.
“There’s so much talent in this city,” Shimamura said.
She said shopping small can spur local artistry and build up the San Antonio economy.
“We want to sustain,” Shimamura said. “They know exactly where their money goes. It goes right back into pouring into the community.”
The city put out its holiday shopping resources guide to push shopping small this winter season. Councilwoman Sukh Kaur even put out a shopping guide specifically for District 1.