Small Business Saturday encourages local spending

If Black Friday’s message is a broad-stroke “Buy! Buy! Buy!” then the theme of the more focused Small Business Saturday is “Buy local!” So that’s the theme to shop by the day after the day after Thanksgiving this year.

The idea behind Small Business Saturday, which was initiated last year by American Express, is to redirect spending from big-box stores to local businesses and service providers. Support for this year’s effort, on Nov. 26, will come in many forms: American Express has offered incentives for cardholders to spend within their communities; Google, Facebook and Twitter have promoted the cause with publicity; and the Herald is offering special rates for small businesses that want to advertise.

During last year’s inaugural SBS effort, American Express estimated a 28 percent increase in revenue for participating businesses. Some 1.5 million people “liked” a Facebook page promoting the concept, and hundreds of organizations and public figures threw their support behind the cause. This year, those behind the effort are hoping to see an even greater turnout.

Research has shown that 93 percent of American consumers believe it’s important to support local business, and 73 percent make the choice to shop at community businesses. If you’d like to find out more, go to http://smallbusinesssaturday.com/.