Main Street Monday – Main Street and SBA Celebrate Small Business Saturday
November 25, 2019
By Mary Miller
Contributing Editor, Main Street Monday
Main Street Monday – Main Street and SBA Celebrate Small Business Saturday
This year, Main Street and the SBA are gearing up to celebrate the 10th annual Small Business Saturday on November 30th.
In 2010, American Express kicked off Small Business Saturday, or “Shop Small,” to promote small businesses throughout the country. The first Small Business Saturday was a success. One year later, as the Shop Small Movement gained momentum, local officials across the nation began to promote the day and the Senate unanimously passed a resolution in support. In 2015, the SBA officially began endorsing the movement to help focus attention on shopping small and boosting local economies.
Recognized on the first Saturday following Thanksgiving, Shop Small is a chance for consumers to purposely spend dollars locally, in conjunction with the annual Black Friday event. Over the years, Small Business Saturday spending has reached a reported $103 billion. An estimated 67% of which, stays in the local community.
Last year, communities in all 50 states participated in Small Business Saturday and over 100 million consumers shopped and dined at thousands of participating businesses.
With over 30 million small businesses making up the U.S. economy, Small Business Saturday supports nearly 50% of all Americans. It also serves as a reminder for consumers to shop small to help local neighborhoods thrive.
On November 30th, the SBA hopes to build its efforts to drive even more consumers to patronize local independent businesses either online or in-person to kick off the busiest sales season of the year.