Small Business Saturday

Yesterday, I suggested my readers celebrate Black Friday as Buy Nothing Day if they could and boycott WalMart. That's a negative sustainable action. Today, I have a positive sustainable action. Just like last year, I'm recommending that my readers shop at a local business as part of Small Business Saturday.

I'm not alone in urging this. Here is Marie Johns, Deputy Administrator of the Small Business Administration, writing in the Washington Post.

OP-ED: Small Business Saturday: Celebrating the ‘engines of our economy’

It’s the holiday season again, and between the Black Friday sales and the Cyber Monday deals is Small Business Saturday – a national initiative to support the small businesses that play a vital role in creating jobs and economic opportunities all across the country.
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Small businesses are engines of our economy, creating two out of every three new jobs, and today, over half of all working Americans own or work for a small business. From the neighborhood barber shop to the IT companies that keep our nation on the cutting edge, small businesses are the anchors for our communities and the cornerstones of our Nation’s potential.

Last year, Small Business Saturday gave a boost to entrepreneurs all over the country, with more than 100 million Americans shopping at independently-owned small businesses. And this year we can do even better!
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This Saturday, members of the Obama Administration will visit shops all over the country and do their part to support small businesses...

Shopping small helps small businesses do what they do best: create jobs, boost local economies and ensure that we create and sustain vibrant communities for years to come.

So as you consider your holiday shopping plans this week, let’s do our part to support America’s small businesses and our local communities.

The slogan may be "shop small" but this is a big deal when the Obama Adminstration and American Express are both promoting it. Here is the AmEx commericial supporting the day.

All over the country, small businesses are getting ready to welcome people into their stores on Small Business Saturday. Small businesses do so much good for our communities. It's time for us to do our part. On November 24th, let's get out and shop small.