Small Business Saturday - Shop Small

Today, Saturday, November 30, 2013 is Small Business Saturday® – a day to celebrate and support small businesses and all they do for their communities. If you don't normally patronize the mom- and-pop shops in your community, today is a great day to give it a try. More than 9 in 10 small-business owners nationally give back to their communities in some way, be it working with nonprofits, coaching youth sports teams or holding public office. It's the buying-local concept, that personalized service, that circle of money that stays more in the community. You're helping take care of your friends that you know in the community. Local businesses provide jobs to residents in the community, so .... skip the big box retailers today and patronize the small business owner. Who knows......you just might make a habit of it!

On another Note: American Express, a credit-card company, started Small Business Saturday, but shoppers can help their local businesses more if they use cash or a personal check. Debit and credit cards generate fees that businesses have to pay from the proceeds of a sale, and those fees generally go out of state. If you're a small business owner, make sure you're advertising on social media, using hashtags#smallbizsaturday #shopsmall