#SmallBizSat – This Saturday, Be Part of the $100 Billion Movement

It’s been nearly a decade since Small Business Saturday began, and $100 billion later, it’s become a phenomenon. 

According to American Express, since 2010 supporters have spent an estimated $103 billion at small businesses on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. That’s over the first nine years of Small Business Saturdays alone.

As American Express, which launched the promotion to support small business owners, puts it,  “small adds up.” 

Have you made your dollars count at your favorite shop or eatery on Small Business Saturday?

Tips for Small Business Saturday

The data points compiled by American Express are compelling. Here’s a few reasons to step up and shop at one (or several!) of your favorite small businesses this Saturday Nov. 30.

• For every $1 spent at a small business in your neighborhood, an average of 67 cents stays in your community.
• As each of those dollars is spent, they create another 50 cents in local business activity, whether it’s in employee spending or B2B sales.
• Shopping small extends to e-commerce – 59% of consumers said they plan to shop online with a small retailer on Small Business Saturday.
• The benefits reach every kind of retailer. Shoppers said they would drop in at everything from small bakeries and restaurants to clothing and book stores on Small Business Saturday.

“This is a season where consumers spend a lot of money shopping with big businesses,” said Marsel Watts, a business adviser with CDC Small Business Finance. “If we shift that support to small business owners for one day, we can make a huge impact on the community by injecting revenue into our local small businesses.”

Main Street, E-Commerce and More

How will you get involved in Small Business Saturday? There are so many ways.

• Pick your favorite local shop and go for it!
• Stroll a local Main Street instead and make a day of it. Drop by a few places – for a bite, holiday gifts, a goodie for your pet and more.
• Shop a collective like Etsy, where your favorite makers are all small businesses using the platform to share their handcrafted goods and collectibles.
• Post your fab find to social media with #ShopSmall and #SmallBizSat to invite your followers to join in too.
• Share a rave review on Yelp. Even if you already have commitments on Small Business Saturday, spreading the good word for your favorite small business helps out more than you know.

CDC Small Business Finance proudly supports a variety of small business owners, many of whom run retail operations that fit right in on Small Business Saturday. They own restaurants, boutiques, coffee houses, breweries, salons, play stops and more.

Maggie Stoll, who runs Burke Mercantile, a Long Beach, Calif. boutique, will offer discounts throughout the weekend. She also will host pop-up art shows for her customers. 

“This day is huge for my shop!” Maggie said. “When people choose to support local businesses like mine in their neighborhoods, they are putting their money directly back into their community, which is being invested in bringing jobs and culture to their area.

“Shopping small also directly supports the livelihoods of business owners, and the small independent brands I carry,” she continued. “Days like Small Business Saturday can make a small business’ week, month or even year!” 

Why Shopping Small Matters

Marsel hopes the additional customers Maggie sees on this big shopping weekend decide to extend the relationship throughout the holiday season.

“I think once they start supporting small businesses and they know the impact they’ll support them even more,” she said.

Of course, small businesses need customers from their communities to come back all year long. But it’s also nice to remember them as the hubbub around Black Friday and Cyber Monday takes hold. Small Business Saturday falls conveniently right in between, so small businesses can’t be overlooked.

Clayton Summers, owner of Young Hickory, a coffee and beer cafe, said Small Business Saturday and the whole weekend “are key dates” at his two locations.

“The more people support small businesses like ours, the better we can serve them our best products and hopefully continue to grow and expand to serve even more people.”

In case you missed it:

• How to craft a practical sales plan for your growing business
• Essential tips for small business owners to boost online engagement
• Top ways to use your small business loan

Thinking about starting, expanding or buying a small business? You can talk to one of our loan experts who can explain all your options in minutes and find a financing match for you and your business. Let’s talk! Reach us at loaninfo@cdcloans.com or (619) 243-8667. You can also apply online.