Small Biz Survival

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Get Ready to Shop Small

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Small business. Big impactWhat event will we celebrate on Nov. 26?

Pat yourself on the back if you said “Small Business Saturday.”

No, there isn’t any cake (well, there could be) and no one is getting any presents (at least not on that day, although we hope lots of them are purchased from your local businesses that day). Streamers and decorations also probably will be missing.

So why a celebration?

The celebration, which began in 2010, is an effort to promote and encourage shoppers to buy from local small businesses, a central core of our economic sector.

Small Business Saturday occurs between two other major shopping days: Black Friday and Cyber Monday. And while both of these days include small businesses, those who launched Small Business Saturday felt that this one day would be a good reminder.

Small Business Saturday is an awareness campaign. The hope is this one-day focus will encourage you to shop small and shop local throughout the year.

Small businesses represent more than 90 percent of all U.S. businesses. They provide a substantial part of our gross domestic product and employ more than 50 percent of all employees. They also are the starting point for nearly all firms that are now the major companies we know.

The small businesses are key contributors to a community’s quality of life.

So get ready to celebrate. Encourage local events and publicity for your local businesses. And if you did break out the balloons, cake and decorations, that would be great. “Shop small” promotional materials can be found at https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/shop-small/promote.

More importantly, shop. Make shopping small part of your regular routine.

Shop small! It makes a big impact.

About Glenn Muske

Glenn Muske is an independent expert on rural small business, working as GM Consulting – Your partner in achieving small business success. He provides consulting, and writes articles for county extension agents and newspapers across North Dakota. Previously, he was the Rural and Agribusiness Enterprise Development Specialist at the North Dakota State University Extension Service – Center for Community Vitality.

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