Wedged between Black Friday and Cyber Monday is Small Business Saturday, a fledgling effort designed to assure that mom-and-pop businesses capture a share of the holiday shoppers’ dollars.
The days immediately following Thanksgiving are among the busiest of the year in the retail world. The Friday after the holiday booms with shopping opportunities and Cyber Monday has joined the fray, being the first opportunity for many to sit at their computers and shop online.
Now, Small Business Saturday is looking to muscle its way into the public’s thought process. Originated a year ago, the movement asks Americans to “shop small,” thus fueling the economy to the benefit of the country’s smaller retailers.
The national movement, the brainchild of the folks at American Express, has lofty goals: to create, or save, jobs; boost local economies; and preserve neighborhoods.
“The Puyallup Main Street Association posted the numbers recently on the benefits of spending on small local businesses, the (3/50 Project),” said Dale Loseth, Sumner Downtown Association’s interim program manager. “When you spend money on a local business, that money makes it back to the community.
“I would say more of local business owners live locally and, when it comes time to spend their own money, they realize the importance of spending it in the community.”
The Small Business Saturday effort is based on the fact that small businesses are critical to the nation’s overall economy. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, there were nearly 28 million small businesses in the United States last year. During the past two decades, they created 65 percent of net new jobs.
Their importance to local communities extends even further. For every $100 spent in locally-owned, independent stores, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures, according to the small business advocacy group The 3/50 Project.
Social media is playing a central role in helping raise awareness about the importance of supporting small business and recognizing Small Business Saturday. American Express has launched campaigns on Facebook and Twitter driving consumers and business owners to facebook.com/SmallBusinessSaturday where they can participate in the effort.
