Last year, 88 million people patronized a small business during the Thanksgiving weekend, according to a report by the National Federation of Independent Business and American Express. And this year, holiday shopping is expected to rise by 4 percent, according to the National Retail Federation’s 2014 Consumer Spending Survey.
Make sure you’re getting a decent piece of that pie by marketing Small Business Saturday, a holiday American Express created in 2010 in an effort to drive business to independent retailers.
Put Small Business Saturday, Nov. 28, on your calendar and your customers’. American Express is offering free personalized marketing tools including window signage, online ads, rewards cards for customers, and email templates. Get them here.
And just by becoming a fan of the effort on Facebook or by following it on Twitter (@shopsmall), you get a steady stream of small-biz shout-outs and facts that you can share with customers. Gems like: “For every year over the last decade, 60 to 80 percent of new jobs were generated by small businesses,” and “For every $100 spent at a local small business, $68 returns to the community,” are just a few of the powerful reasons the campaign is giving to shop small. You’ll also see profile pieces on retailers from a variety of industries and locations, which just might contain clever ideas that could work for your business too.
