Lafayette Small Business Saturday promotes a stronger local economy

Saturday for Small Businesses: A day in which small businesses challenge customers to show their love for their favorite stores of mother and local pop.

Saturday was a day when buyers took their buying power outside big box stores.

Basin Arts held its second annual Arts Bazaar, one of Lafayette's Saturday's big business events.

Kelli Sargent is co-owner of Snake and Monkey Studios, Lake Charles.

The studio transforms vintage watches from 50 to 100 years into jewels.

We take each of these watches and separate them. We take every gear, every spring, every face, every little outstretched hand and everything else. And then sort it and start creating a new piece with it, "said Sargent.

The art bazaar is also a networking opportunity for small local artisans who help each other.

Mauritius-based small business owner Jayna Anderson recently launched a herbal skin care business called 5th Dimension.

"I'm kind of a sci-fi nerd, and in the fifth dimension, the idea is that infinite potential exists and every action you do leads to an infinite reaction," Anderson said.

Who said it was a bit like the wave effect when small businesses work together?

"When you're shopping for a small business, you will not usually have to help a single company, but all the small businesses it supports. For me, I try to find my ingredients locally when I can. I support small farms that use permaculture cultural practices, "said Anderson.

Brother's on the Boulevard is one of the small businesses behind Lafayette's growth.

"When something is bought here, the money stays here. He goes to the banks and the money stays here. When he's bought in the big-box stores, he can go to the banks here, but he's immediately transferred, "said Catherine Abdalla, co-owner of Brother on the Boulevard.

Brother's on the Boulevard, which celebrated its 42nd birthday on November 20th, prides itself on offering a personalized customer experience that, it is said, can not be found in a store.

"The key word is service. But the service for us is that we know most of our customers by their first name. Know their children, know their grandchildren, "said Abdalla.