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Health & Fitness

Small Business Saturday - Shop Your Local Merchants

Small Business Saturday - A Few Tidbits

Small Business Saturday.

I've been seeing this phrase all over Facebook and on posters in shop windows everywhere I go. While I know it is aimed to promote shopping small local businesses the Saturday after Thanksgiving, I wanted to know a bit more on how this movement started. I went to my favorite information source - Wikipedia. 

“Small Business Saturday is an American shopping holiday created by American Express, held on the Saturday after Thanksgiving during one of the busiest shopping periods of the year. First celebrated on November 27, 2010, it is a counterpart to Black Friday and Cyber Monday. By contrast, Small Business Saturday encourages holiday shoppers to patronize brick and mortar businesses that are small and local.” 

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This year Small Business Saturday is November 26th. Just a few days away, so get your checkbooks ready (or your debit card) and shop til you drop. 

I loved Dick Sparrer’s column in Los Gatos Weekly-Times as he writes about his wife having another excuse to go shopping. View the entire post online, but let me give you a peek at their conversation:

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"Haven't you heard about the state of the economy?" I asked. "Don't you think it's just a little irresponsible to go out on a shopping spree just for the sake of shopping?"

"Well, haven't you heard about the need to increase consumer spending to help stimulate small businesses?" she countered.

"Yeah," I replied, "but I was hoping you hadn't!"

"Well I did," she said, "and I'm going out to do the patriotic thing--shop!"

I agree, it is the patriotic thing to do!

“Small businesses are the foundation of our economy – half of America's workers either own or work for a small business," said SBA Administrator Karen Mills.  "Small Business Saturday® is an opportunity to show our support for our friends and neighbors who throughout the year are growing our local economy, as well as supporting many local initiative and organizations."

“Small Business Saturday® will help drive shoppers to America's job creators. Small businesses have generated two out of every three net new jobs over the past 15 years and employ over half of all private sector employees.”

Putting the statistics aside, everyone I know has a romantic view of small business owners. “A shop of one’s own” was my dream for many years before I opened my shop.  Where once small ‘mom and pop’ stores, or boutiques, as some of the more specialty shops are called, thrived, the economy and large national chains are making it harder for the small business owner to exist. Local shops offer an alternative to consumers who wish to deal with businesses that are native to a given city or town, and where owners are established members of the local community.

This Saturday, November 26th, do your part to keep the American dream a reality. Shop locally and meet your neighbors.

Don’t forget the festival of trees at the Aurora Theater while you are out shopping this Saturday, and throughout the holiday season. Bring canned food or an unwrapped toy to place beneath your favorite tree.  

Personally, I don't shop Black Friday or Cyber Monday. But small shops have always held a place in my heart. Saturday is the day that brings shopping locally to national attention, but keep in mind, it is the best way to shop any day of the year.

Visit Facebook, put in your zip and find local merchants! Be sure to 'like' them too.

Small Business Saturday On The Lawrenceville Square Facebook Event.

 

 

 

 

 

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