The holiday season is fast approaching, and with that comes holiday shopping. The weekend following Thanksgiving marks the official start of the holiday season with three days dedicated to different aspects of the retail world—Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday.
Small Business Saturday is a relative newcomer in the holiday shopping season, having started in 2010. As the country was recovering from the economic recession, American Express started Small Business Saturday in an attempt to get more people to support local businesses.
The following year, the Senate passed a resolution in support of Small Business Saturday, making it an official day and cementing its place in our holiday shopping season. Since its inception, Small Business Saturday has generated $85 billion in reported spending at independent retailers and restaurants.
Supporting Small Business Saturday has many benefits—
- Helps to create jobs in your community
- Keeps tax dollars local, which supports public services, schools, and libraries
- Helps to maintain the individual flavor of your community by enabling local businesses to stay afloat
- Access to unique or locally produced products, including one-of-a-kind items that are not available in big box stores and chains
Looking to get involved? American Express has a webpage dedicated to Small Business Saturday, with resources for local businesses who want to participate, as well as listings of participating businesses and community events that have been organized in support of the effort.
