…especially in Pennsylvania. In 2017, Pennsylvania was ranked sixth in the nation by the Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Advocacy with
1,074,787 small businesses, employing
2,512,633 employees — and, creating
65% of all new jobs formed from 2000 to 2019!
Reasons to be thankful for small business
The numbers speak for themselves, but when you consider the types of businesses that are often locally owned, it’s easy to see how the numbers add up. Thus, Thanksgiving is the perfect time to show them appreciation.
Small businesses keep us:
- Looking good and well-dressed: Local salons, clothing boutiques, shoe repair
- Well-fed: Restaurants, coffee shops, grocers, bakeries, ice cream and candy shops
- Comfy and Cozy: Home furnishings, artist galleries, florists, card and gift shops, real estate brokers, electricians, plumbers, painters, plasterers, roofers, landscapers, carpenters, construction contractors, B&Bs
- Up and running: Computer repair, pharmacies, bike shops, car dealers, auto mechanics
- Entertained: Mini golf courses, bowling alleys, arcades, hobby shops, book stores
- Legal: Lawyers, accountants, tax preparers
- Successful: Marketing and ad agencies, financial establishments (like Clearview)
Small Business Saturday is November 28, 2020
In 2010, driven by their care of local communities and the belief of small business’s powerful impact on neighborhood successes, American Express created
Small Business Saturday®. Now, each year, to encourage support of small businesses during the holiday shopping season, the Saturday after Thanksgiving is officially known as Small Business Saturday.
Help support the community
In addition to supporting other local businesses, small businesses are the ones that support school, team, and community charitable events. Here’s your chance to support them, so the cycle can continue and benefit a multitude of community members. When it comes to volunteering time to organize and staff community events, you’ll see the smiling faces of small local business owners and their employees.
Discover something unique
Bored much? If you’re looking for a unique, hidden gem to give as a special gift or just the right accent piece for your home décor, you may not find it in a big-box store. Try a local establishment instead. Local small business owners create their own network to help support each other, so you might even be able to support more than one in just a single trip or website visit.
Enjoy better customer service
The SBA reported that
81% of small businesses have no employees. In these cases, there’s no question about who your purchase is helping. You’ll receive exceptional customer service from any successful small business and a sincere, heartfelt “thank you” because your purchase is supporting the dream of a local business owner.
Preserve community charm
What if the local restaurant with the best homemade ravioli or the kids’ favorite mini golf course closed? What if “your” reliable perfectionist of an electrician, the florist with flair, or the woman who prepared Mom’s taxes for the last 8 years had to close and take another job? You get the picture. These little pieces together make an interesting, charming, caring community and we should all do our part to maintain it.
Eat healthy
Support your local farms at farmers markets before they become a subdivided collection of McMansions. The food will be fresh, in season, often organic, and farmers love sharing information about how they select and grow their crops, so you can learn quite a lot, too. Consider subscribing to a
CSA (community supported agriculture) and you’ll always have fresh produce in your fridge.
Thrive in a healthier environment
Shopping small also benefits the environment. The merchandise or raw materials used by local enterprises have already been shipped, so you won’t add to the delivery carbon footprint. And speaking of footprints, walking from shop to shop will help reduce pollution and improve your own health, too.
Live better
When a local business thrives and grows, it can hire more local people. That’s good for everyone. Shopping locally creates more local jobs
, which increases tax revenue that is put back into the community to revitalize roads, schools, parks, the library, and other public spaces. A
study done by Civic Economics found that $68 of every $100 spent locally stay with the community vs. only $43 per every $100 spent with national chains. When you shop small, it’s as if you’re receiving an item or service for donating to your local community, which will in turn make your home a nicer place to live.
