What is Small Business Saturday?

Small Business Saturday is a holiday that celebrates small businesses and encourages customers to shop at a local small business. The holiday is always on the last Saturday after Thanksgiving and it normally occurs between of November 24th and November 30th. This year Small Business Saturday will fall on November 27th.

HoW did it start?

Small Business Saturday was originally an American Express campaign that was set up to help shine a light on small businesses and encourage consumers to shop locally during the holiday season. The inaugural date was November 27, 2010 and a year later the holiday became official. President Obama, government officials, and mayors all showed support to Small Business Saturday in 2011. 

The next year in 2012, American Express would expand their campaign and help small business owners promote their business. American Express offered small business owners’ free ads to spread online. That year local businesses saw an estimated $5.5 billion spent nationwide and less than a decade later in 2020 saw an estimated $20 billion spent on Small Business Saturday. 

The Benefits of Small Businesses

According to Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, “Small businesses created 1.6 million net new jobs in 2019, with firms employing fewer than 20 workers generating 1.1 million net new jobs”.  

Small businesses have a tremendous impact on the economy; most of the businesses in the United States are made up of small businesses as there are over 30-million small businesses and most of them have fewer than 20 employees. 

How can you support?

The global pandemic affected a lot of small businesses and is continuing to have an ongoing effect so how can you support it?

On Small Business Saturday you can go purchase something from your favorite local business or several local businesses. If you cannot purchase something, post about them on your social media highlighting what they do as a business and showing off some of your favorite products!