Northwest Iowa — The big retailers get “Black Friday” — the day many can say they are now operating “in the black.” Online retailers have come to expect big sales on “Cyber Monday”, the Monday after Thanksgiving. Almost ten years ago, the concept of “Small Business Saturday” started to take hold.
Experts at the Iowa Small Business Development Center tell us that it got started in 2009 when American Express recognized that the small businesses in our country are really the drivers for our economy. They create the jobs, they add the jobs and they create the sales within our small communities. They say that anything we can do to help support small businesses helps them to invigorate the economy and keep communities going. The first Small Business Saturday was held in 2010.
This year, the big day is Saturday, November 30th and the Executive Director of the Sheldon Chamber and Development Corporation, Curt Strouth says the SCDC is getting on board with this small business promotion and will be encouraging Sheldon to shop local. He encourages people to check out some of the many great deals going on at some of Sheldon’s local businesses.
Strouth says that according to a Civic Economics Study in Grand Rapids, Michigan, if you spend $100 at a locally owned business, roughly $68 stays in your local economy. If you spend the same at a large business, the study found that only $43 stays in the local economy. Strouth tells us that according to the Seattle Good Business Network, small businesses donate 250% more than larger businesses to non-profits and community causes.
The SCDC has even incorporated the concept into one of their taglines, “Shop Small, Shop Smart, Shop Sheldon.”
We at KIWA would like to encourage you to shop locally throughout the year but especially on Small Business Saturday, which is the Saturday after Thanksgiving every year.
