Just eight years ago American Express created Small Business Saturday, a day that encourages consumers across the country to shop small. Since becoming a co-sponsor of the event in 2011, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has seen the impressive impact Small Business Saturday has on small businesses and their local economies nationwide. According to […]
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Just eight years ago American Express created Small Business Saturday, a day that encourages consumers across the country to shop small. Since becoming a co-sponsor of the event in 2011, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has seen the impressive impact Small Business Saturday has on small businesses and their local economies nationwide. According to the 2017 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey, more than 72 percent of consumers are aware of the initiative and over 108 million consumers reported shopping at a small business on Small Business Saturday.
For America’s 30 million small businesses ready to launch their busiest shopping season, this Small Business Saturday represents an ideal opportunity for small-business owners to connect with communities, develop increased brand loyalty, and provide superior customer service.
The Golden Cleat is just one of the many small businesses preparing for this year’s Small Business Saturday celebration. The fine jewelry and gift shop is gearing up for Clayton’s inaugural Holiday Window Competition and annual Holiday Shopper’s Poker Run, a 12-day shopping event that commences November 24. Both events are organized by the Clayton Chamber of Commerce. The Golden Cleat has also chosen Small Business Saturday to launch a new collection of handcrafted wedding and engagement rings just in time for the holidays. In an effort to include seasonal customers unable to shop the brick-and-mortar boutique this time of year, the Golden Cleat is also offering online shopping incentives this Small Business Saturday.
Last year, owner Emilie Cardinaux recognized an opportunity and invested in her future and her community by purchasing the downtown waterfront building where her store is located. An SBA-backed loan from Watertown Savings Bank financed renovations and additional inventory to diversify product lines beyond her own designs, which are handcrafted in-house. Customers can now find unique jewelry, accessories, and home goods handmade by other designers across the U.S. in her shop. Her timely investment has led to opening a seasonal second location on Wellesley Island and she is seeing a significant increase in sales and employees this year.
Small businesses like the Golden Cleat are the backbones to our communities, making a difference by providing vital jobs and economic impact. Committing to shopping small this holiday season and all year-round keeps more money in our local economies and our small businesses thriving. Please join the SBA and organizations across the country in supporting your local small business by shopping at a small business on this Small Business Saturday — a day to celebrate and support small businesses and all they do for their communities.
If you are looking to make the most of Small Business Saturday for your small business, then you must start with SBA’s website that is specifically dedicated to the Small Business Saturday movement — www.sba.gov/saturday. Jumpstart your plans with blogs such as “6 Good Reasons to Start Your Holiday Marketing Plan Now”, “33 Creative Ideas for Small Business Holiday Marketing” and “7 Holiday Marketing Tips on a Limited Budget.” Connect with a 2018 Neighborhood Champion, like the Watertown Small Business Development Center, and find printable Shop Small materials at www.smallbusinesssaturday.com. Stay up to date by following our SBA office on Twitter @SBAUpstateNY and use #ShopSmall and #SmallBizSat in your posts.
Bernard J. Paprocki is district director for the SBA’s Syracuse district office. He is responsible for the delivery of SBA’s financial programs and business-development services for a 34-county region in upstate New York.