Home > Resources > Blog Posts > November 2019 > Small Business Saturday
Share this page:

Small Business Saturday

Honor America’s Entrepreneurs by
Shopping Small on November 30th!

 

By Ashley D. Bell, Regional Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration

Please join us in celebrating the 10th year of Small Business Saturday this November 30th! Celebrated each year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, Small Business Saturday is a way for consumers to kick off the busy holiday shopping season and make an impact in their community by supporting independently owned businesses. Each year, we encourage entrepreneurs to leverage Small Business Saturday to help drive more traffic to their businesses – whether it’s through their storefront doors or to their website during the holiday shopping season.

Last year, thousands of communities in all 50 states—as well as U.S. territories and Washington, D.C.—rallied their friends and neighbors to celebrate the day, and in 2018 an estimated 104 million U.S. consumers reported shopping or dining at local independently-owned businesses on Small Business Saturday. The total reported spending among U.S. consumers who said they shopped at independent retailers and restaurants on the day reached a record high of an estimated $17.8 billion in 2018 according to the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB). We want to continue and grow this trend, because we all know how important America’s 30 million small businesses are to our economy and to overall job creation.

We realize that you have a choice to make when shopping for the holidays and for every day of the year. I just ask that you consider your community and the entrepreneurs that support your local economy; they are your neighbors and your colleagues. You can make a difference this holiday season by choosing to shop small and dine small. For example, please consider the impact Small Business Saturday makes on small businesses such as Tasteful Gatherings, a small business success story from the SBA Tennessee District Office. Kathy “Dee” Johnston needed assistance with marketing her event planning and catering business. After receiving marketing ideas as well as business strategy and planning counseling through the Tennessee Small Business Development Center at Cleveland State Community College, Dee received the contract to operate the cafĂ© at the college, added a party rental component to the business, and increased sales by almost $75,000 a year. The business also gives back to the community by using workforce development to mentor students from Cleveland State in marketing through social media. Also, students get hands on experience learning accounting by working with the staff accountant for the business. Whether you take advantage of the services of businesses like Tasteful Gatherings for your holiday party or purchase your gifts from local small businesses, you expand good will in the local economy and promote local business. This Small Business Saturday, please shop local.

I encourage you to join me and the more than 100 million Americans in shopping and dining small on Small Business Saturday as you begin (or maybe complete!) your holiday shopping. Be sure to share your stories and where you’re shopping via social media using #ShopSmall. See you on November 30th!