Tag Archives: Small Business Saturday

Shop Small, Support Big: Shop and dine small at local businesses on Saturday, Nov. 25

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Support local businesses by shopping small on Small Business Saturday (Courtesy, SBA)


By SBA, Geri Sanchez Aglipay and Laketa Henderson

Michigan’s 14th annual Small Business Saturday is just around the corner (Courtesy, SBA)

Make big moves in Michigan! Shop and dine small at local independent businesses for Small Business Saturday on Nov. 25 and through the holiday season.

Saturdays are often set aside for errands such as haircuts, gift shops, or to pick up supplies for a DIY home project. Making fun memories with family and friends at corner coffee shops or local restaurants, grocery stocking at the neighborhood grocer or a Michigan farmer’s market, and self-care fitness time are also popular Saturday activities.

More often than not, consumers go to small independent retailers that provide these goods and services.

The value of small businesses

Nov. 25 is the 14th annual Small Business Saturday. Droves of American consumers will shop small or dine small in support of small businesses.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is proud to be a co-sponsor of Small Business Saturday, founded by American Express in 2010.

Small businesses are economic engines, creating two-thirds of net new jobs. In Michigan, 537,058 small businesses employ 1.2 million people. Small Business Saturday advances equity by leveling the field so that small businesses capture a larger piece of the holiday season consumer spending.

“The United States has experienced a historic small business boom being led by women and people of color at a rate 65% faster than the pre-pandemic average,” says SBA Great Lakes Regional Administrator Geri Aglipay. “By shopping small, we help create and preserve jobs which expands opportunities for inclusive prosperity and generational wealth building in communities.”

Shopping small online is also encouraged. E-commerce is a priority of SBA Administrator Guzman because it helps make small businesses competitive across global markets.

A catalyst for growth

The SBA Great Lakes Regional Office and the SBA Michigan District Office are thrilled to promote Small Business Saturday!

Independent businesses are a catalyst for community growth (Courtesy, SBA)

“Everybody should know that independent stores and dining venues are pillars of our communities,” said Laketa Henderson, SBA Michigan District Director. “Small Business Saturday is a day to show appreciation for the unique character of these businesses across the diverse communities in Michigan, from Motor City and Grand Rapids to the UP. They’re a catalyst for neighborhood growth.”

Wyoming local businesses can be found here: Wyoming Business Directory.

Kentwood local businesses are listed here: Shop Kentwood.

For more information, visit sba.gov/MI.

Shopping on Small Business Saturday good for buyers, businesses, communities

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Keith Morgan, owner of All Clean Again and Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce. (Supplied)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

 

Why shop local and shop small businesses, on Small Business Saturday and all year long? There are both sound statistics and personal stories to answer the question, according to Wyoming businessman Keith Morgan.

 

“As a small business owner and chamber leader I see the value of buying local from two different perspectives,” Morgan, owner of All Clean Again janitorial services and Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce board member, said to WKTV. “The business owner in me understands that buying locally helps build communities. When local communities support their local businesses, the dollars spent tend to stay in the community a lot longer. … In layman’s terms, a dollar spent local stays local.”

 

He pointed out multiple studies by the consulting firm Civic Economics which show the effects on dollars spent locally. One study showed each dollar spent at an independent business returns 3 times more money to the local economy than each dollar spent at a chain business — and almost 50 times more than buying from an online mega-retailer.

 

But he also says quality of service, and supporting one’s community, are reasons to shop locally.

 

“If quality and service is what you are looking for, it may be in your best interest to test the local business waters,” Morgan said. “When it comes to local business, almost all cases involve an owner who is dependent upon the success of their business to provide for their livelihood. This tends to get you a more attentive business individual, when shopping locally because you are vitally important to their business.”

 

Morgan points out that small businesses are also able to react to the customer more directly — when a decision is needed, the consumer wants an answer and resolution now, he said.

 

“When someone deals with a local business, they get the feeling of giving back to their community in a tangible way,” Morgan said. “Buyers who shop locally may likely be helping to support their neighbors put food on the table, helping send another’s children to the local community college, or helping provide yet another family the means to support the local mission that feeds the needy.”

 

Shopping Small Business Saturday helps local economy

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Locally owned: Fruit Basket Flowerland
Locally owned: Fruit Basket Flowerland

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

We hear a lot about Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but sandwiched in between is probably the one shopping day that has the most impact on a local economy: Small Business Saturday.

 

Actually launched by American Express in 2010, Small Business Saturday is designed to encourage people across the country to support small, local businesses. The reason is simple according to Bob O’Callaghan, president and chief executive officer for the Wyoming-Kentwood Chamber of Commerce.

 

“When you shop at a small business you help feed a local family and their tax dollars stay local,” O’Callaghan said.

 

According to a recent Forbes magazine article, there are 28 million American small businesses, which account for 54 percent of all U.S. sales.

 

“The backbone of any economy is the local brick and mortar buildings that belong to the small business,” O’Callaghan said, adding that the Wyoming-Kentwood Chamber of Commerce is made up of 75 percent small and local businesses.

 

Cheers to the holidays: Cascade Winery
Cheers to the holidays: Cascade Winery

According to Local First of West Michigan, by shifting 10 percent of your spending towards locally owned business helps create up to 1,600 new jobs. The American public appears to be making that shift since according to the Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey, commissioned by American Express and the National Federation of Independent Businesses, more than 95 million people shopped small business in 2015, which is an 8 percent increase from the 2014 Small Business Saturday. The survey also shows that more than 16 billion was spent at small independent businesses on the 2015 Small Business Saturday.

 

“Small Business Saturday is a great entry point to start learning about and supporting local businesses,” said LocalFirst Marketing Manager Mieke Stoub. “We hope that the community continues to support our local economy after the holidays and throughout the year.”

Be Thankful for Family, Food, and, of course, Shopping!

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Black FridayBy: Deidre Doezema-Burkholder

No sooner did the ghost and goblins of Halloween get back to their homes to feast on their newly acquired sugar collection that Sleigh Bells started ringing. That’s right, the big push of the last holidays are upon us, and wow has technology changed the ways we celebrate.

The holidays seem to require three important ingredients – Shopping, Food, and Family.

First, let me start off by saying that I have never, ever participated in the Black Friday Madness. I have witnessed it but I haven’t woken myself up at 3am to make it to a store that was opening at 5am so I could buy a $50 Blue-ray player for $15. I will admit to looking through the black Friday ads and even looking them up online ahead of schedule. In fact, there is a website you can visit that is fully dedicated to Black Friday Ads that not only posts the ads for Friday’s event, but also the toy books that retailers put out and other deal specific items. Extra Kohls cash anyone?

While a lot of people still trek out on that Friday, more people are opting out and staying in for Cyber Monday. The first Monday after Thanksgiving is now dedicated to an online shopping bonanza of epic proportions. Many of your favorite retail stores will put on extra sales on Monday as well, but the online retail giants make a serious play for your holiday cash.

With Amazon being one of the biggest names in online shopping, the company makes Cyber Monday a big, big, BIG event. Certain deals highlighted and change hour after hour. It’s enough to make even the most seasoned shopper spin around with glee.

Small Business SaturdaySmack in the middle of Black Friday and Cyber Monday is now known as Small Business Saturday. A day in the weekend where your local small business owners hope to attract and entice you. This can be done in a physical location as well as through a website. Just a quick search using the “shop local” option on Etsy.com allows you to see what some of your own neighbors have brilliantly made themselves.

When all your shopping is done, the focus goes back on the two most important parts of the holidays, food and family! It seems like a no-brainer that you’re going to need food. Food that you can make while you host the holiday at your home, or something a little easier to transport as you go through the woods to Grandmother’s house.

If you happened to miss my article on technology in the kitchen, you can find it here.

Then there’s family. It’s suppose to be the most important ingredient in the holiday recipe. While technology can help, it can also hinder. Sure, through the power of Skype or FaceTime you can video chat with your niece or nephew who is serving overseas. However, is will also keep your 14-year-old niece or daughter from looking up the entire time you’re at Aunt Kathy’s.

Screen Shot 2015-11-19 at 11.15.20 AMSo, a holiday challenge for you. Can you and yours set aside technology for the holiday gathering and have little to no smart phone or tablet use while you are surrounded with extended family? No Facebooking, no tweets to be sent, and no text to be read?

Some may find this hardly a challenge at all while others will struggle not to pick up their phone when there is lag in the conversation. Putting the technology aside might be tough at first, but the end result will be lifetime memories with family and friends!

Deidre owns and operates Organisum: Technology Services, a business serving the West MI area. In her free time she likes to hike & bike local trails with friends and family when she isn’t pinning, instagram’ing or Netflix’ing.