Everyone is familiar with “Black Friday,” the day-after-Thanksgiving kickoff for the Christmas shopping season, but many shoppers are paying more and more attention to the day after Black Friday: Small Business Saturday.
Founded by American Express in 2010 and officially cosponsored by the Small Business Administration since 2011, Small Business Saturday is a nationwide observance designed to encourage consumers to support America’s nearly 32 million independent businesses during the year’s busiest shopping season for small business.
Support for small businesses is especially important this year, the SBA notes, as they work to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Spending among U.S. consumers patronizing independent retailers and restaurants on Small Business Saturday reached an estimated $23.3 billion last year, according to the 2021 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey commissioned by American Express.
To call attention to Small Business Saturday (Nov. 26) and spur participation by North Texas shoppers, the SBA’s Dallas/Fort Worth District Director Herbert Austin and Acting Southcentral Regional Communications Director Ahmad Goree visited a pair of area retailers, Beverly’s Florist in Arlington and Les Delices De France Bakery in Dallas. Both businesses received SBA loans to help them grow and create jobs.
“SBA is proud to encourage consumers to shop with small businesses on Small Business Saturday and beyond,” Austin said. “These type of firms are what drive our local economies and create jobs.”
Joining the SBA officials during this week’s visits were Arlington Mayor Jim Ross and Dallas City Council member Jaynie Schultz.
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. The agency delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit the SBA website.