Small Business Saturday: Saturday After Thanksgiving (United States)
Small Business Saturday is an American shopping holiday held during Saturday. It is a weekend of gathering, fun and shopping
Thanksgiving weekend is a much celebrated weekend in the United States. It is a weekend of gathering, fun and shopping. Just like Black Friday, even small business Saturday is a day for shopping. This is the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This year, it will be observed on 28th November.
History
Small Business Saturday was first observed in the United States on 27th November 2010. This day falls between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It is a counterpart of these other two shopping days. It was created by AMerican Express in 2010 for the first time.
Back then, the holiday was promoted by Amex through television and radio advertising campaigns. Amex gave its new account holders and small merchant account holders rebates to promote the event. That year, it also bought advertising inventory on Facebook as well.
The event became a big hit, when small business groups started showing interest in the campaign. Many local politicians of the United States also issued proclamations. This generated more than a million Facebook likes and aoung 30,000 tweets on Twitter under #smallbusinesssaturday and #smallbizsaturday.
Significance
Small Business Saturday encourages people to shop from small businesses. Small businesses feed our communities. More than half of the American workforce is employed in the small business sector. It is the livelihood of many people. Local economy, local schools, etc. are supported when people support local businesses.
How to Observe This Day
- Make a list of friends and family members who you want to buy gifts for
- List out the people who would like handcrafted and unique goods
- Explore your gifting options of handcrafted items like pottery, quilting, jewellery, etc.
- Explore your community for small businesses and buy unique gifting options
- Make your friends and family happy this holiday season