Support Actually Small Indie Authors — Because Apparently 499 Employees Still Counts as “Small”

I woke up this morning to a parade of “Support Small Business!” ads… only to realize half of them were from companies with enough square footage to qualify as their own weather systems.

I mean — 300+ employees?
Corporate parking lots?
A “brand activation team”?

Someone’s confused, and it’s not me.

Meanwhile, the real small businesses — the ones this day was designed for — are quietly doing the work without billboards, marketing budgets, or armies of staff. Indie authors. Artists. Makers. And yes… alpaca farms.

And before anyone asks:
Yes. They have a building.
A lovely one.
But it’s still a family-run, heart-powered small business — not a corporate pretender wearing a “Shop Small” badge for the vibes.

So today, I’m celebrating the folks who keep things truly handcrafted:

• One person, one laptop, one cat who believes the keyboard is a heated mattress
• Creators who format books at midnight because the footer keeps moving
• Rural farm shops where the owner knows every animal by name
• People who run their businesses with sheer passion, stubbornness, and the occasional “why won’t this button save?!” moment
• Anyone who has ever bought their own ISBN and felt their soul leave their body for a second
• Artists and authors who can build universes but still can’t find where WordPress hid yesterday’s settings

That’s small.
That’s indie.
That’s real.

Below are a couple of links to actual small creators I know — indie authors, and yes, the alpaca farm shop (because supporting local fiber, handmade goods, and rescued animals absolutely counts).

• Books by Melinda Clayton
• A Ribbon of Sand by Mike Shannon
• SafeHouse Farm Alpacas

Small Business Saturday might have drifted into corporate territory, but we don’t have to.

Here’s to the creators with more heart than budget.
Here’s to the farms that smell like hay, not spreadsheets.
Here’s to the writers building whole worlds with a cat supervisor.

Here’s to the actually small — making a mighty impact anyway.