Growing up in a small town I have seen businesses come and go. I have witnessed businesses open for as long as I can remember close their doors permanently. I have seen the toll it takes on a town when one by one stores close and soon only the ghost town remains.
It takes a lot of gut and drive to get a small business on its feet, but most importantly, it takes consistent support from the local community to see it thrive. One small business can lead to two, two to four, and so on. Before you know it you are walking down a lit-up sidewalk with a coffee and Baileys in your hand exchanging greetings with an acquaintance you haven’t seen in ages but today both happen to be out shopping on Small Business Saturday.
The Shop Small Movement
Originally created by American Express in 2010 when many of the nation’s Main Street business owners were struggling to come back from the Great Recession, Small Business Saturday was developed to encourage people to shop local. Two years later, by 2012, towns in all 50 states were participating in the Shop Small Movement that takes place annually on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Some businesses have even come to depend on this mainstream trend along with the holiday sales for an influx in revenue before the end of the year.
What the Shop Small Movement strives to do is spread a message. A message that says whether you are buying a thoughtful piece of jewelry from a local artist, last-minute sports equipment for your child’s practice that starts on Monday, or craving a coffee-to-go, you are not only supporting that business but you are also supporting your community. In fact, for every dollar spent at a small business in the United States, approximately 67 cents stays in the local community1.
Thank You!
Help us to keep our lakes area vibrant and alive and make Small Business Saturday a tradition to remember with your friends and family. Center of Design will be open on Saturday, November 30, 2019, from 9 am to 3 pm featuring up to 75% off select items. Thank you for supporting this small business and we hope to see you out and about!
1
Estimate from data on businesses with under 100 employees, as
reported in Amex-commissioned 2018 Small Business Economic Impact
Study.