With the holiday season coming to a close, Sheboygan wants to remind people that small businesses need support year-round.To promote the cause, one group launched the Sheboygan Punchcard Challenge. For every $25 or more you spend at a participating business, you get a stamp. A full card, or ten stamps, earns you a custom cutting board.But the real goal is to keep the local economy running strong.We wanted to give folks the incentive to think about that over the holiday season, said Caitlin Brotz, founder of Heart of the Hometown.The movement, sponsoring the punchcard challenge, was born to boost small, local businesses after COVID. The businesses that were affected by COVIDwere still here and were still able to offer services, Brotz said.Shes also the owner of Olivu 426, an all-natural skincare line brick-and-mortar on Sheboygans historic 8th Street.Everything you see here, we make fresh weekly, daily, and even hourly, Brotz hand sweeping the length of her store. Weve been here almost 20 years now. It doesnt seem that way, Mikenzie. Time flies!Brotz explained she started the punchcard initiative because Sheboygan business owners have been struggling, some telling her theyre just trying to make this last push through the holiday season.Not all the mom-and-pop stores can survive with all the big box stores that keep coming in, said Matthew Riley, Brotz business neighbor a few doors down. Owning a small business is not as easy as everybody thinks. Everybody thinks, Ill come up with this idea and Ill make a million dollars. It doesnt work that way.He owns Freaktoys a collectors wonderland selling everything from comic books to action figures to vintage video games and consoles.Its one of the many businesses participating in the Punchcard Challenge, which runs through Jan. 18.A lot of customers coming in and we punched a lot of cards Its great to get the small businesses all together in Sheboygan and help each other, Riley smiled.You know, we could set up shop anywhere in the world, any of these businesses could. But Sheboygans a special place.Its such a quaint town, Brtotz added. Youre going to fall in love and come back again and againwe hope.For a full list of participating businesses, go to heartofthehometown.com.Its about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for TMJ4 on your device.Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip