C & G News Feature 11.14.12

Locals prepare for Small Business Saturday, holiday shopping

By Jessica Strachan Velazquez

(excerpt)

Wearing fingerless gloves, Cheryl Jones, manager of Catching Fireflies in downtown Rochester, holds a snowman serving plate, Santa nightlight and “snowman” soup.

OAKLAND COUNTY — Almost everyone has that special gift or two that they’ve received over the years that means the world to them.

For Beverly Hills resident and local business owner April McCrumb, it’s a custom-made painting by an independent artist that depicts her local shops, which sell trinkets and gifts. Her husband commissioned the piece for her as a Christmas gift one year.

McCrumb, who is the owner of Catching Fireflies in Rochester and Berkley, along with the Yellow Door Art Market in Berkley, said special gifts like that painting are the inspiration behind her shops.

And occasions like Small Business Saturday Nov. 24 remind her why their work is so special, she said.

“People come to us because we have things you can’t find anywhere else. When you gift a gift, you don’t want to give something you can find at a local big-box store,” McCrumb said. She has a team of 10 who make Catching Fireflies a personal experience for shoppers.

They offer cookies, hot cocoa and free gift wrapping to their shoppers, who stroll aisles filled with unique and handmade gifts,  surrounded by the sound of holiday music. On Small Business Saturday, each shopper will receive a small token of appreciation, too — “seeds of happiness” to express Catching Fireflies’ gratitude for patrons’ support.

“It’s all part of the experience; we try hard to create a nice environment. … Shopping for gifts should be fun; it shouldn’t be a chore,” McCrumb said.

Small Business Saturday is the day sandwiched between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, dedicated to supporting small businesses in the community, and it comes just in time for the holiday gift-giving season.