Black Friday we know. It is the biggest shopping day of the year here in the United States. The Friday after Thanksgiving is famous for sales and crowds. Some of you can taste the discounts now. Even in this economy, faithful shoppers still dive in looking for the perfect discounted Christmas gifts. Others shop for the thrill of the day.
But what about Black Saturday (my name)? Now there’s a special name for it, too.
American Express declares the Saturday (November 27, 2010) after Thanksgiving as Small Business Saturday.
Small Business Saturday is a new initiative to encourage buying from small businesses. But why shop locally when national chains like Starbucks for my tea and Barnes & Noble for my books have everything I need? Well, there are quite a few interesting and compelling reasons. Consider the two below.
Small business makes local communities go round
We live locally and we need our communities to thrive and that takes resources. The 3/50 Project says that for every $100 spent at local small businesses, $68 returns to the community. That’s a lot returned to the community — thank you, small businesses. But a better way to drive that thank you home is to shop. Which brings me to another interesting reason to participate in Small Business Saturday.
Shopping locally gives you a taste of the community
It’s true my local bookstore has a smaller selection and my local coffee shop doesn’t know what a venti size anything is. However, that book store features local authors and holds book signings and readings in a building that may be as old as the city. It has its own flavor. And when I am there I can be a part of it. That local coffee shop has music on Friday and Saturday nights and hot food with local names to remind me that I am not in just any old town.
Every time I shop locally I am pleasantly surprised by the interesting venues I find. In fact, I think I’ll start celebrating Small Business Saturday now.
Support Small Business Saturday by putting your money where your mouth is
If you plan to join me then drop by the Small Business Saturday’s Facebook page and “Get Involved!”
Encourage family and friends to shop small. And when you do your own holiday shopping, make sure to buy from other small businesses around you. Show your support to your peers.
Martin Lindeskog
As a supporter of small business and a free market, I have clicked the “like” button and joined the Facebook group. Please continue to give me tips on how I could support a small business on Saturday. It would be great if this will become an international event.
businessavante
I’ve felt this way my whole life. Why would I spend money at a national chain when there are people in my own community I can support? The little, out-of-the-way places have 10 times the ambiance that the mega-stores do! And they’re full of charm – something a mega-store wouldn’t know if it clobbered them over the head!
businessavante
It’s a great idea and I hope that all of us involved with small businesses will spread the word and then hit the small local businesses in our neighborhoods this Saturday.
Anita Campbell
Martin, thanks for your support. This is an important initiative that I wholeheartedly embrace. We MUST show our support of small businesses, and the best way to do that is with our pocketbooks.
– Anita
Martin Lindeskog
Anita, I think that location-based apps could help in this endeavor. As H&M clothing chain’s slogan says in cooperation with Foursquare: “Check-in, Hang out, Check-out” You show your support, you hang out with friends and liked minded individuals and you buy stuff and show it for the public.
Martin Lindeskog
Anita,
You gave great suggestions on how to support small businesses on Saturday. I will try to do a couple of them.
https://smallbiztrends.com/2010/11/guide-to-events-for-small-businesses.html#comment-905933
“Great question, Martin! Here are a few quick suggestions:
– Buy a book written by an entrepreneur or small business owner. Most books written for small businesses have authors who are small business owners/entrepreneurs themselves. So by buying the book, you are supporting the entrepreneur who wrote it.
– Go out to dinner at an independently owned (not a chain) restaurant.
– Buy a CD or some MP3 songs from an independent musician
businessavante
I agree with Anita about locally-owned restaurants. I never go to chains by choice. Local “fresh houses” have better-trained kitchen staff, too – they have to prepare the food step-by-step, not just re-heat the pre-fabricated stuff delivered in 18-wheel commissary trucks. I’ve worked in both, and saw it 1st hand. The fresh house made potato soup by peeling potatoes, celery, etc,- the chain by dumping a bag of powder into hot water (like a giant version of Lipton soup). (Suddenly, I’m getting hungry….)
businessavante