Why I “Shop Small” on Small Business Saturday

As a small business owner myself, I know how much time, dedication, money, and hard work entrepreneurs pour into their work. That’s why I plan to “shop small” on Small Business Saturday.

Small Business Saturday takes place on the last Saturday of November, so it falls on November 30^th this year. The holiday was started in 2010 by American Express to encourage more holiday shopping with small businesses instead of big-box stores and online retailers. In 2011, the Senate unanimously passed a resolution in support of Small Business Saturday.

By 2018, the day boasted more than 7,500 Neighborhood Champions across all 50 states. Every year, business associations, nonprofit trade groups, municipalities, and public officials encourage people to “shop small.” Last year, U.S. consumers reported spending a record high of $17.8 billion at independent retailers and restaurants on this special day.

Why Small Business Saturday matters

Many independently owned boutiques, gift shops, and mom-and-pop stores struggle to compete with major chain retailers, but they deserve our support! Why? Because small businesses serve as the backbone of the U.S. economy and local communities.

According to the U.S. Small Business Administrations’ Office of Advocacy:

In 2016, there were 30.7 million small businesses in the U.S. Of those, 81% had no employees, while 19% had paid employees.
Small businesses comprise 33.3% of the known export value of the U.S. ($429.3 billion out of $1.3 trillion).
Small businesses make up 40.7% of private-sector payroll.
Among small businesses, 8 million are owned by minorities, 2.5 million are owned by veterans, and 9.9 million are women-owned.

In the decade since the Great Recession, small businesses created 10.6 million net new jobs, or 64 percent of the private-sector net new jobs.

When you spend money at a small business, an average of two-thirds of every dollar ($0.67) spent stays in your local community. And every dollar spent at small businesses creates an additional 50 cents in local business activity as a result of employee spending and businesses purchasing local goods and services.

Plus, small businesses give back! According to a 2016 survey, 42% of small businesses give at least $1,000 to charity, and 90% of those donations benefit local organizations.

How to shop small on Small Business Saturday

Do you want to join me in supporting small businesses on Small Business Saturday and throughout the rest of the year? Here’s what we can do to back small businesses and keep our communities strong.

Shop local
Share your “shop small” experience on social media using the #ShopSmall hashtag
Thank the businesses you visit for their contributions to our neighborhoods
Beyond Small Business Saturday, plan to do at least some of your holiday shopping at independently owned retailers

Even if you do most of your shopping online, you can still support small business owners by shopping on a small retailer’s website on Cyber Monday (the Monday after Thanksgiving), and throughout the rest of the year.

If you’re a small business owner interested in taking part in Small Business Saturday, you don’t need to register with any organization to participate. However, American Express offers free resources and marketing materials geared toward small business owners. You can use their resources to create custom flyers, social media assets, signs, and more. You might consider hosting a special event or offering a special deal to encourage customers to support your small business. Talk to other local businesses in your area or your local Chamber of Commerce to see if they have events planned.

I hope you’ll join me in supporting small business owners by participating in Small Business Saturday this year. It’s a great way to become better acquainted with other business owners in your neighborhood and support the community!

Want to learn more about how I help small business owners handle their accounting and taxes? Schedule a one-on-one meeting with me today!