Growing up in a small Dutch town in Iowa, the author developed a love for supporting local businesses and was raised with that mindset. The author now runs a Local Business School, helping local business owners open stores and leverage digital tools to support their growth. Many people want to support local businesses but are often overwhelmed and busy, making it necessary to provide a reason to choose them. To encourage this choice, creative digital marketing strategies can be used such as creating a digital shopping guide, going live on Facebook or Instagram, adding holiday spirit to social media feeds with Reels, emailing subscribers regularly, and incentivizing last year's customers to return. These tips aim to make holiday shopping enjoyable and easy for customers, with the ultimate goal of making local businesses successful.