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Giving Thanks for our Small Businesses
In the rush of the holiday season that is truly upon us, I wanted to offer my thanks to the self-employed and micro-businesses owners that are a part of a strong ecosystem that is keeping the American economy humming.
For decades, the self-employed and micro-business community has been a bit of an unsung hero of the US economy, 27 million non-employer firms operate in the US today, or 82% of the entire small business community. It should also be noted that nearly 50% of the workforce is employed by a small business. And while accounting for such a large population of businesses, 0- 499 employees, we know that the economic power of the small business community is unmatched.
As we head into the holiday season, I hope that you will join me in celebrating the resiliency of the small business community, while we encourage you to #shopsmall year round, we hope that you will once again support your local Small Businesses on Saturday, November 25. Since Small Business Saturday started in 2010, consumers have spent almost $163 billion supporting small businesses in their communities (and online!). In a 2022 assessment of small business Saturday spending trends, American Express (the official partner of Small Business Saturday) found, “that $0.68 of every dollar spent at a small business in the U.S. stays in the local community and that every dollar spent at small businesses creates an additional $0.48 in local business activity as a result of employees and local businesses purchasing local goods and services.”
Please join me in shopping small this Saturday, for fun, I have included a few small businesses that I plan on supporting on November 25:
- TinyExpressions: they have amazing fun, holiday coloring banners
- Creekside Farms: artisan wreathes
- Brave and Kind Bookstore: Independent bookstore in Atlanta, GA
- Yummy Toddler Food: because feeding a toddler is an adventure