Thanksgiving is almost here, and shoppers all over the country are already looking ahead to all of the sweet deals they’re going to get on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Sandwiched between those two shopping holidays, though, is another important day that doesn’t get nearly as much attention.
Every year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, Americans all over the country celebrate Small Business Saturday. On Black Friday, shoppers flock to the big box stores to take advantage of the huge sales and crazy deals. On Cyber Monday, tech geeks sit glued to their computers waiting for the biggest discounts. On Small Business Saturday, shoppers hit the streets to support all of the locally-owned mom and pop shops that are the lifeblood of the American economy.
At rushIMPRINT, our business is helping small businesses grow and promote themselves. We know better than anyone how important it is to support local, independent businesses. That’s why we’re encouraging everyone to not only participate in Small Business Saturday this year, but to make every Saturday a Small Business Saturday.
We all know that the big box chains offer the best values. The volume of business they do makes it nearly impossible for their smaller competitors to compete with them in terms of pure pricing. Here’s the thing, though: those giant retail chains didn’t start off as giant retail chains. As hard as it may be to imagine, Walmart used to be just another store in Arkansas. At one point, McDonald’s was someone’s local burger joint.
By supporting a local shop or eatery, you might be helping to build the next Walmart or McDonald’s. You could be helping a local business owner realize their dream of expanding into the next big thing. Your purchase could help fund an expansion that leads to more manufacturing, more business, and more jobs right here in the United States.
Just as importantly, supporting any local business supports your local economy as a whole. The local businesses you patronize are paying taxes right in your home community and they’re hiring your neighbors and friends to work there. In turn, those employees spend their paychecks at other businesses in your area. It creates economic momentum that can help propel your town or city into real prosperity. Shopping at a local business or eating at your local restaurant might seem like a small thing, but it can make a huge impact in literally hundreds of lives, including your own.
So make sure that, this Saturday, you go out and spend some of that Holiday shopping money to support local businesses. But don’t stop there. Make supporting small businesses a year-round affair. You might find some incredible shops and restaurants you never would have known about. Even more importantly, you’ll be helping create jobs in your area and promote regional economic growth. Best of all, you’ll feel the satisfaction of helping someone who’s working hard to carve out a place in the world just like you. In the end, isn’t that what every holiday should be out?