It seems to me that you’re in one of two camps when it comes to Black Friday: either you plot and scheme about how to get the best deals, or you stay home, staying away from retail locations until sometime the following week. Despite having a few aunts and a sister-in-law who are staunch residents of the pro-Black Friday camp, I stay pretty far across the border. While I’ve never been much for shopping, there are certain days that I break from tradition, however.
Begun in 2010 and sponsored by American Express, Small Business Saturday raises visibility for the little guy. But small biz is not so little when you consider there are almost 28 million small businesses in the US, over 50% of the working population (120 million individuals) works in a small business, and small businesses have generated over 65% of the net new jobs since 1995.
In the years since its inception, Small Business Saturday has gained acceptance—consumers reported spending $5.7 billion at independent retailers in 2013, a gain of 3.6 percent from the year before.
Continuing along the same theme, this year the Small Business Association (SBA) has extended the effort, teaming up with the National Restaurant Association to promote Small Business Saturday Night. The idea is to encourage shoppers who are already out shopping to explore what the local restaurants and bars have to offer—and we know the Twin Cities has plenty to offer in this area!
Many cities and local business councils have websites to help you plan your Small Business Saturday:
- 50th & France, Edina
- Uptown Association, Minneapolis
- Grand Avenue Business Association, St. Paul
- Wayzata Shopping and Dining Guide
- Shop Stillwater
- Hit the shops in White Bear Lake
Explore local shops via the Green Line, or visit Amex’s Shop Small page to search for small businesses based on exact location—there are so many options, from quaint and cute, to funky and edgy.
Where will you go? Small Biz Saturday is a retail tradition I love to support!
Angela Anderson, Realtor, Results Support Services: EMAIL — BIO
Licensed Associate Working with Sharlene Hensrud of RE/MAX Results, and HomesMSP — Sharlene, John, Angela