Go out and support Small Business Saturday

Pasadena Star News

By: Cynthia Kurtz

Posted: 11/26/2014 

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are fast approaching. Even if you are not ready for shopping season there is one shopping holiday that you won’t want to miss - Small Business Saturday.

Saturday, November 29, 2014 is the day to shop in locally owned brick and mortar stores. In the midst of the hustle and bustle - especially around the holidays - we sometimes forget about our “Main Street” merchants. Small Business Saturday is a reminder of the critically important role small businesses play in our communities and in our economy.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, companies with less than 20 employees account for 70 percent of American businesses. They employ 22 million people with a total payroll of $7.48 billion. 

Small businesses are part of the fabric of our communities. They support local charities and often provide teens with their first summer jobs.

Local economies are dependent on the success of their small businesses. Cities use the tax proceeds from retail sales to pay for 25 to 75 percent of basic municipal services like police and fire protection and park maintenance.

Small business is the driving force of job creation. In the 2013 Economic Report to the President, the Small Business Administration (SBA) reported that businesses with less than 500 employees accounted for more than one-half the private sector Gross Domestic Product (GDP). That means the value of the products and services from these often family owned and independent companies exceeded that of large corporations.

Small Business Saturday began in 2010 with the backing of American Express. Each year it has gained more notoriety and media attention as shoppers rally around the idea of supporting local merchants. 

A survey conducted for the National Federation of Independent Business and American Express found that $5.7 billion was “spent by consumers aware of the initiative on Small Business Saturday in 2013 alone.”

So this Saturday patronize your local grocer, farmers’ market, or hardware store. Maybe your shoes need to be repaired. Or your knives need to be sharpened. Treat yourself to some homemade chocolate or ice cream. Visit your local wine store. Have dinner at the local grill. There are a million ways to celebrate Small Business Saturday.

And while we are at it, this would be a very good time to make our first New Year’s resolution. In 2015 resolve to make a purchase from a local business at least once a week. And in doing so, you will help your local economy thrive.