Letter to the Editor: Small Business Saturday shopping made a big impact

To the Editor:

Hopefully you visited a small business on this year’s ninth annual Small Business Saturday November 24. If you did, your efforts and those of many others made a big impact.

This year’s total reported spending of those who said they shopped at independent retailers and restaurants reached a record high of $17.8 billion, according to the 2018 Small Business Consumer Insights Survey from American Express and the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB.) That makes it clear that Small Business Saturday and your support of it makes a big difference in sales that help small businesses prosper and grow. Since 2010, the study reports estimated sales at $103 billion.

Now, I hope you will think of your Small Business Saturday visit as a kick-off that inspires you to explore even more small businesses at home and as you travel. You will boost your local economies and strengthen other communities by keeping small businesses at the top of your holiday shopping list throughout the season and throughout the coming New Year.

Tom Salisbury
Region 7 Administrator
U.S. Small Business Administration