shopping small businessI don’t know about you, but I like to support other small business owners and “shop small” whenever I can. If you’re looking for some gift ideas and want to support a small business, you’ll definitely want to check out Carol’s latest post on entrepreneur.com. “6 Small Businesses Worth Supporting This Holiday Season.” Carol begins:

“Whether buying gifts for your clients, employees or even your family, it’s a great time of year to consider supporting entrepreneurs. American Express even started a movement around “shopping small”, called Small Business Saturday, which is November 26th this year.

If you aren’t sure about what to get yet, here are some suggestions. Think of them as “Carol’s Favorite Things” (a la Oprah’s favorite’s list). Full disclosure: two of these companies (marked with this*) have sent me items in the past (the others I stumbled upon) but none paid to be included on this list:

1. Chuao Chocolatier

I love chocolate, so I am always on the search for the best. I stumbled across Chuao Chocolatier, a purveyor of high-end chocolate bars and confections, and fell in love with their “Firecracker” bar, which features dark chocolate, chipotle, sea salt and popping candy, as well as their fun gift boxes. The entrepreneur behind Chuao, according to their website, left behind a successful tech career in Venezuela to follow his passion and become a Master Chocolatier here in the United States.

2. Berco’s Popcorn

Berco’s Popcorn* is a fantastic small business makes amazing popcorn in some fabulous flavors and combinations, including the “World Famous” caramel and white cheddar mix for some sweet and salty goodness. If you are feeling generous, indulge in their “Billion Dollar Popcorn”, which is the world’s most expensive popcorn, coated with real, edible gold flakes.”

You can see the rest of Carol’s suggestions here.