NORFOLK, Va. — Come out and celebrate Small Business Saturday on November 30 to support local businesses in the area.
The event started in 2010 to get more customers into local businesses after Thanksgiving and Black Friday. According to American Express's 2019 Shop Small Consumer Impact survey, 74 percent of shoppers are choosing to support small, independently-owned businesses in their community, celebrating what makes them unique.
The survey also claims that 67 cents of each dollar spent at a small business stays in their local community, helping to keep Main Streets thriving.
The U.S. Small Business Administration said last year, an estimated 104 million consumers nationwide “shopped small” on Small Business Saturday spending a combined $17.8 billion at independent neighborhood retailers and restaurants.
“Supporting the local economy is the driving force behind Small Business Saturday, and every year the SBA has been proud to rally the community during this vibrant holiday shopping season event,” said Acting Administrator Chris Pilkerton. “The SBA helps empower America’s 30 million small businesses by providing them with tools they need to start, grow and expand during the holiday season and throughout the year.”
Today, there are over 30 million small businesses in the United States. About half of all American workers are either employed by a small business or own a small business. And two out of three net new jobs are created by small businesses.