Now in its sixth year, Small Business Saturday serves as the ceremonial kickoff to the holiday shopping season for small businesses across the United States. Each year, shoppers spend tens of billions at small businesses on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The day was also championed by elected officials in all 50 states and Washington D.C., including President Obama who took his daughters shopping at local stores last year.
Why Is Small Business Saturday So Important?
Focusing on small businesses and local jobs directly combats income inequality. Small businesses create jobs — 70% of the jobs created since the end of the recession came from small business. But simply creating jobs won’t stem the tide of income inequality. The kinds of jobs being created, and where those jobs drive their wealth, matters just as much.
“Mom and pop” businesses and entrepreneurial ventures bring stability and renewed energy to deteriorating neighborhoods, and help revitalize poor inner city, suburban and rural areas. And, studies have found that locally owned stores generate much greater benefits for the local economy than national chains do.
A community’s level of social capital and well-being is positively related to the share of its local economy held by local businesses; and small businesses donate about twice as much per employee to charitable organizations as large businesses. Even more striking: big-box retailers as a whole depress wages and benefits for retail employees, and median incomes have risen faster in places with more small businesses compared to those dominated by big businesses.
For these reasons and more, small businesses are arguably more important than large businesses in local economies because they create jobs with higher wages and better benefits, and support raising minimum wages, helping to combat income inequality. And yet, they’re struggling to survive. We need to help them to survive: their survival means a stronger economy, stronger neighborhoods, and a more equal marketplace.
Get Involved And #ShopSmall
BusinessAdvising.org recognizes the importance of supporting small business: the jobs they help create and the culture they instill in local communities. You can learn more about Small Business Saturday and how to get involved by visiting ShopSmall.com and the official Small Business Saturday Facebook page.
Check out resources at ShopSmall.com that can help you stand out:
- • SPREAD THE WORD: Download marketing materials that can help you attract new customers on the day. And check out our Marketing 101 series, for tips and tricks to maximizing your impact.
- • PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS: Apply for free personalized online ads. Eligibility restrictions apply; see Terms of Participation for full details. Registration for free ads closes in early November, or while supplies last.
- • GET INSPIRED: Visit ShopSmall.com to see what others have done in past years to make the day a success
Be a part of Small Business Saturday 2015 and make it one of the biggest days of the year for your business. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #ShopSmall and share what your business is doing, or what you’ve bought from businesses in your neighborhood!
About Small Business Saturday
Nov 28 marks the sixth annual Small Business Saturday, a day to support the local businesses that create jobs, boost the economy and preserve neighborhoods around the country. Small Business Saturday was created in 2010 in response to small business owners’ most pressing need: more customers. To date, more than 3.3 million Facebook users “liked” the Small Business Saturday page2. Just last year, 370+ advocacy organizations, 160+ corporations, and elected officials in all 50 states and Washington D.C. declared their support for Small Business Saturday.