Small Business Saturday falls on November 28 this year, during one of the most difficult years ever for many locally owned businesses across Iowa. That’s especially true for restaurants and retail shops. The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) is encouraging people to support small businesses in a variety of ways on Small Business Saturday and beyond.
This holiday season is a very stressful one for thousands of small business owners across Iowa. As they wait for Congress to act and pass another round of Paycheck Protection Program funding in D.C., back here in Iowa they are counting on the support of their local community to help them through this tough time. Small mom and pop shops are the lifeblood in communities in every corner of the state. Small business owners not only provide jobs that support families in that community, but they donate to local youth events and fundraisers. Let’s do our part this holiday season to make sure our small businesses make it through this pandemic.
If people prefer not to go out shopping this season, many small businesses offer their products online as well as home delivery or curbside pickup. A small business owner is much more likely to be available by phone if customers have questions. Showing support for local businesses on Small Business Saturday and throughout 2021 will help business owners get past the recent economic downturn. That will help keep communities vibrant.
Small Business Saturday has been held the weekend after Thanksgiving since it was created eleven years ago by American Express following the 2009 recession. The idea was if consumers could be encouraged to “shop small” and support local businesses it would lead back to a healthy economy. The event has gained in popularity and last year, sales on Small Business Saturday reached a record $9.6 billion, according to the Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey conducted by American Express and NFIB. Research commissioned by American Express shows that each dollar spent creates another 50 cents of local business activity as a result of employee spending and a business purchasing local goods.
