Cities Across the Country Support Small Business Saturday
By J. Katie McConnell
In addition to Thanksgiving, many American’s are prepping for another yearly tradition – the official start of the holiday shopping season. While no doubt an onslaught of shoppers will descend on malls and super stores on Black Friday, cities across the country are urging residents to save some energy (and money) and turn out to support locally-based, small businesses on November 24th for Small Business Saturday.
For cities, there are concrete reasons why promoting buying local makes sense:
- It supports the type of independent, unique businesses that make local communities vibrant and distinct places.
- It keeps spending and tax revenue local, verses having them “leaking” out to neighboring jurisdictions.
- Profits go to local owners instead of national headquarters located somewhere else.
- It helps demonstrate that local government is supportive and invested in local business success.
San Jose, CA Mayor Chuck Reed stated that Small Business Saturday, “Is a great opportunity for our residents to learn about the many great shops, restaurants and small businesses located here in San Jose” and encouraged residents to support local businesses that provide local jobs and tax revenue. Scottsdale, AZ is also backing the day, stressing that the dollars spent locally generate sales tax support for the municipal services residents count on. In the greater-Peoria, IL region, local government, business and community groups have created a regional effort to support area businesses.
The National League of Cities is pleased to support Small Business Saturday which was founded by American Express in 2010 to help small businesses get more exposure during one of the biggest shopping weekends of the year. According to American Express, over 100 million people came out last year to shop at independently-owned small businesses during Small Business Saturday.
Details: To learn more about Small Business Saturday visit www.shopsmall.com. For more information on the NLC Center for Research and Innovation’s work on supporting entrepreneurs and small business visit www.nlc.org/economicdevelopment or contact mcconnell@nlc.org.
