The head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has called upon Americans to ‘Shop Small’ throughout this holiday season, as well as on Small Business Saturday on November 26.
SBA Implores Americans to Shop Small on Small Business Saturday
Small Business Saturday was founded in 2010 by American Express and officially co-sponsored by the SBA since 2011. It aims to encourage consumers to do business with independent retailers and restaurants, who number close to 32 million businesses across the United States.
Record-Breaking Spend and Start-Up Numbers
This year marks the 13th annual Small Business Saturday. Last year, American Express say there was a record-breaking total reported spend of $23.3 billion by American consumers at independent retailers and restaurants on Small Business Saturday.
Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s American Rescue Plan and the equitable implementation of SBA economic relief programs, the number of Americans who applied to start new businesses reached close to 8.5 million. That is higher than any similar period on record.
Strengthening America’s Entrepreneurs
The SBA are encouraging consumers to continue spending with small businesses beyond the special day and throughout the holidays.
The SBA’s Administrator, Isabella Casillas Guzman, said: “As our economy continues to stabilize, it’s more important than ever that consumers shop and dine small during the holiday shopping season. We continue to see positive impacts and opportunities for our small business owners through President Biden’s economic agenda, and Small Business Saturday is another chance for us to further strengthen America’s entrepreneurs with our local and online spending and promotion.”
Get Involved in Small Business Saturday
In the SBA Initiatives section of the organization’s website, small business owners can access free Small Business Saturday marketing materials such as poster samples and social media resources. Consumers can also find participating businesses in their local area.
You can also follow the SBA on social media and the hashtag #ShopSmall for the latest updates.
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This article, "SBA Implores Americans to Shop Small on Small Business Saturday" was first published on Small Business Trends