Nestled between the chaos of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, is Small Business Saturday. This awesome new national holiday was created in 2010 as a push back against the frenzied stampedes at big box stores and giant online retailers. It’s a day to celebrate the small business owners and talented local artisans who innovate our world unique creations and out-of-the-box thinking. We love Small Business Saturday because it shows a shift towards conscious consumerism.
5 Reasons to Support Small Business Saturday:
1. Express Your Uniqueness
In an age where most everything is mass produced in a factory overseas, it’s time to take back your identity and express your unique sense of style. Instead of purchasing the same Ikea chair that sits in everyone’s dining room, your house would be much more interesting with a furniture piece crafted by an expert woodworker. Small businesses and local companies encourage uniqueness by promoting one-of-a-kind products or by featuring neighborhood artists.
2. Preserve Your Town’s Character
Every city has a Rite Aid and a CVS, but not every city has a specialty shop that touts an amazing collection of fine tea leaves, distinct coffees, exotic spices and botanicals from around the world. You can purchase a bicycle from any Target or KMart in any city, but you won’t be able to get the lowdown on beautiful local cycling routes like you would from your local bike shop. It’s these small businesses that gives your town its distinct character.
3. Support Your Neighbor
When you spend your money at small business, you are supporting your neighbor. Your money might go towards a pair of ballet slippers for the shopkeeper’s daughter instead of funding the salary of a CEO in a large corporation. For that local shopkeeper, your business means a lot. Your support for small businesses also creates jobs in your community.
4. Fix Your Roads & Fund Your Schools
Dollars spent on small businesses are more likely to stay in the local economy. Research has shown that if you spend $100 at a local business, about $68 stays in your local economy. If you spend the same at a big box store, only $43 stays in the local economy. Small businesses also pay taxes to the local government, and this money is used for public works such as roads, schools, sidewalks, and parks.
5. Build Community
Small businesses are the building blocks of a strong community. They interlink neighbors, shoppers, employees, shop owners, and local artisans in a web of economic and social relationships. Also, where big box stores are usually limited by corporate regulations, small businesses are free to cater to local interests and collaborate with the community on events that create vibrant town centers.
