8 Small Business Saturday Tips To Bring the Black Friday Energy
The Small Business Administration states that small businesses are independently owned and operated while being completely separate from large corporations. While employee
Victoria Liotta
The Small Business Administration states that small businesses are independently owned and operated while being completely separate from large corporations. While employee and revenue rates vary across industries, these for-profit enterprises employ 500 or fewer people. In your community, you’ve probably seen small businesses in retail such as boutiques; in the food industry like restaurants and bakeries; or tradespeople such as barbers, hair stylists, or photographers.
When you support small businesses you’re taking care of the planet by minimizing your carbon footprint, investing in your community, paying someone’s salary, investing in innovation and creativity, and so much more.
This year, Small Business Saturday falls on November 26 – yes, this Saturday. So, get your dollars ready and your coupon clippers in hand because it’s time to support and celebrate all of the local small businesses across the nation.
The 411 On Celebrating Small Business Saturday
According to Goodgoodgood “Small Business Saturday was started by American Express, in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, and Roslindale Village Main Street in 2010. The next year, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution to honor the holiday in all 50 states.”
Shopping small all year round is a great goal to have however, we understand that it isn’t always feasible. At the least, what better time to give back to small businesses than the holiday season? Give the gift that keeps on giving by purchasing a percentage of your presents from locally-owned companies or supporting them with your service. And, as we mentioned, this Saturday is the day of days for supporting small businesses.
Need some tips?
- Purchase gift cards from small businesses – take the path less traveled when getting a plastic card filled with money and find a local shop worth sharing with someone else who might not yet know about it.
- Enjoy your Saturday night at a locally owned and operated restaurant – change it up from the usual fast food run or chain eatery.
- Hire someone who works locally in a trade – set up a photo shoot, a hair appointment, a home remodeling session, or whatever it is you need with someone who runs their own business in the industry.
- Leave a positive review for a small business you love – if money is tight and you’re on a budget for the holidays, leave a review for one of your favorite local brands. All you need for the Small Business Saturday task is some time to type out a few kind words.
- Support local artists – if you know of an artist on social media that you consistently enjoy, purchase a piece of their artwork this Saturday to support them beyond a double tap ‘like.’
- Skip the third-party app or retailer – for this one day of the year, say no to convenience, and don’t order delivery from apps like Grubhub or DoorDash. Instead, order directly from the source – the local restaurant itself. You can also shop your favorite small business products directly from their sites rather than from big box shops like Amazon and Target. By doing this you’re giving more money directly to the business owner.
- Shop at independent bookstores
- Shop custom gifts on Etsy – need we say more? Everyone knows that Etsy shops are the best for getting genuine custom-made gifts as well as supporting individual creatives.
Share the news of this Saturday across social media with the hashtag #SmallBusinessSaturday or #ShopSmall to support the local business you love near and far. As said by Emma Watson, Actress and Activist, “As consumers, we have so much power to change the world by just being careful in what we buy.”