Tayler Nicholas was growing frustrated earlier this year with the fact that the only way she could market her business was through Instagram. People couldn’t see her products in person, and she couldn’t visit with her customers.

So Nicholas, owner of Ginger Next Door, a small jewelry business, did something about it. She founded the Davis County Collective, a group of small, online businesses based in the county, to promote each other and host pop-up markets where they can show off their wares and see their customers.

“If there is something that you see that is lacking that you want, make it happen yourself,” Nicholas said. 

The first pop-up shop, on Feb. 6, drew a constant flow of customers to the Oak Hills Reception and Event Center in Layton to see the products of 24 vendors. The second pop-up shop will be on May 18 at the Oak Hills Event Center from 6-9 p.m.

The Davis County Collective was started as a network for small businesses to connect and help each other grow.

“When one small business is succeeding, we are all succeeding,” Nicholas said.

She and her collective colleagues hope that the pop-up markets can help show the importance of shopping small. 

“I think it’s important to keep all those funds that we are earning through our work local because that’s how our communities grow,” said Emilie Daly, owner of Emmerie Lane, a home décor and jewelry business. “When our communities are thriving, that means our workforce and families are thriving.”

The importance of shopping local was shared by the customers who attended the first market. 

“I love supporting local people,” customer Brynleigh Cheshire said. “I would prefer to support someone that is trying to do something for their family rather than a huge business who is not putting the money back into the community.” 

These businesses not only prioritize putting money back into the community, but also engaging with their customers in person and on social media. Engaging with customers on social media alone can take up to a few hours a week, Zack Smith, co-owner of Euphoria Boutique, said. 

“It’s free marketing, but you have to sit, and take the time to engage with people on it,” he said. “A lot of people love when you engage with them.” 

Many local business owners are their own social media managers. Engaging with customers helps to create a relationship with their customer. One of the best ways people can support a local business without spending money is just through liking, sharing and following their accounts, several vendors said. 

“The challenge with competing with big brands is that we don’t have the name, customer base or means to advertise,” said Kayden White, owner of outdoor brand Whitekap Outfitters. “What makes us different is that we are real people who love the outdoors. We test all our products in the outdoors, unlike big brands who just design in the city.”

Even though these businesses can find it hard to compete with big corporations, the Davis County Collective hopes to build a community that helps small businesses support each other. The collective is on Instagram, and information about future pop-up shops and other small businesses in Davis County can be found there: https://www.instagram.com/daviscountycollective/