Thanksgiving dinner is eaten and the Iron Bowl played; the holiday season and an entire weekend lie ahead. So just imagine...no early morning wake-up calls, no crowds, no newspaper flyers, no coupons, no sold-out signs. Now that's the civilized way to start the shopping season.
Become part of a new national movement. The first ever Small Business Saturday -- spearheaded by American Express and joined by advocates from New York City to Facebook -- is a time to patronize independently-owned, community-based shops. It will be observed two days after Thanksgiving, on Nov. 27.
It's a day to support the local businesses that create jobs, boost the economy and preserve neighborhoods around the country. Small Business Saturday is a national movement to drive shoppers to local merchants across the U.S.
What a great idea!
There is nothing small about the idea and I'm not the only one who thinks so. As of today, over 700,000 people "Like" the official Facebook page, and American Express is donating a dollar for each one of them (up to one million) to Girls Inc., the nonprofit focused on cultivating confidence, self-esteem and entrepreneurship among girls across the country (it reached almost a million of them last year).
The company is also crediting $25 to the first 100,000 card holders who register their cards online and pledge to spend at least $25 at a small business on November 27.
Facebook offered $100 in free advertising to 10,000 small businesses.
And New York was the first city to officially declare November 27 Small Business Day.
Still not convinced? Consider this...
- For every $100 spent at small, local businesses, $68 returns to the community.
- Small businesses employ half of all private sector employees.
- Small businesses represent 99.7% of all employer firms.
- For every year over the last decade, 60% to 80% of new jobs were generated by small businesses.
Wherever your plans take you on Saturday, November 27, carve out some time to support the small businesses in your community.
And spread the word.
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