Black Friday is good, but Small Business Saturday is better! Like the clients that we support, Local Fresh is a small business owned and operated by people just like you. We provide online marketing products and services for small business owners and operators to make the most out of their marketing dollars. We encourage small business owners to prepare now to participate in Small Business Saturday!

What is Small Business Saturday?

Founded in 2010 by American Express, Small Business Saturday is a shopping event that occurs each year during Thanksgiving Weekend. The purpose is to highlight those small businesses in your local community who need your support and participation to survive. This year, Small Business Saturday is on November 30th.

The Advantages of Shopping Small

Main streets around the country have, in some cases, been abandoned as shopping online and in big chains has been perceived as more convenient and cost effective. There are, however, many advantages to shopping small businesses in your community, especially for the holiday season.

• Building Relationships – Who can your customers turn to when they’re in need? Can they get dependable help at a big chain store, or will they find more detailed answers to your questions from your small business? Think of the local hardware store – when your toilet breaks, who is more likely to help you out and answer your questions? As a small business owner, you value your relationships with those in your community.
• Supportive Community Organizations – When your child’s baseball team needs support, will big chain stores be there for you? The chances are slim. Small businesses (like yours) in your community, however, are invested in how well our children are educated as they develop. Without small business, our local economy and community could not thrive.
• Personal Customer Service – Small businesses value each and every customer, providing superior service so that people will want to come back again and again.
• Unusual Items – Small businesses tend to stock more unusual items that make excellent gifts for family and friends and cannot be found in big chain stores. Plus, Thanksgiving weekend is an optimal time to find items on sale.

Small Business Owners: Prepare For Small Business Saturday

American Express makes it really easy for small business owners to prepare for November 30th. Here are some simple tips:

• Download Small Business Saturday logos, printable signage and social media and email templates for free. Start letting customers know that you are participating in the event through email marketing, social media marketing and good ol’ plain word of mouth.
• If you want to personalize Small Business Saturday stuff for your business, you can also do that for FREE. If you included Printable Signage as part of your download, you can get two 11″x17″ professional-quality posters printed for free at FedEx Office. Offer expires 11/30/13. Terms and conditions apply.
• Use their downloadable email marketing template to send email newsletters to your customers. If you don’t have an email list of your customers, use Small Business Saturday as an opportunity to build your list. Collect business cards with names and email addresses of shoppers who come in during that day and have a drawing for a free item using participants’ names.
• Participate in social media using suggested Facebook posts and Tweets (#smallbizsat)

How Can You Shop Small?

In addition to preparing your small business for this event, you might also want to get out there and support your friends and colleagues in your community. Shopping small is simple!

• Go here for an interactive map to find dining, travel, and shopping opportunities in your area.
• Make a list of gift ideas for family and friends, then shop small businesses to get your shopping done quickly and conveniently.
• Join the Small Business Saturday community on Facebook and share your story!

When we spend money locally, it allows our local economies to grow and thrive. We encourage you to participate in Small Business Saturday as an owner and as a shopper this November 30th!