This time of year, Nick and I will discuss what types of promotions we can run around the holidays. As a small business with custom gifts, we'll never be able to compete with big box sales. We price our items as competitively as possible on a regular basis, versus marking products up just so we have the ability to discount later - a strategy most bigger retailers use.

At the same time, we also feel conflicted. We're in the business of selling gifts, but the holidays seem to be overtaken by how good of deals people can get on Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, etc. The list goes on and it's overwhelming! This isn't what the holidays should be about, is it?

Enter #GoodKarmaSale - an idea started by another small business owner:

When we first read about this, we knew we had to participate. Between Nov. 23-30, in addition to offering 15% off all personalized gifts, we're donating 10% of sales that week to the Off the Street Club - Chicago's oldest boys & girls club serving 3,000 kids in one of the country's most dangerous neighborhoods. 

And these kids and their stories are amazing.

Are you frustrated with the holiday shopping season? What are you doing differently this year?  We'd love to hear about it - comment below!