Small Business Saturday - A Big Opportunity For Fresno’s Small Businesses

By Elmy Bermejo & Dawn Golik

Squeezed between national chain store discounts on Black Friday and digital specials on Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday is an opportunity for each of us to support Fresno’s entrepreneurs.?

?According to SBA data, Fresno has nearly 71,000 small businesses which employ more than 146,000 people. They, along with the rest of our country’s 33 million small businesses, are in the home stretch for meeting their 2023 revenue goals, so the next few weeks are a critical time for them. It’s also a time when each of us, with holiday gifts lists in mind, can do our part to support them.

Founded by American Express? in 2010 and officially cosponsored by the SBA since 2011, Small Business Saturday is 24 hours dedicated to the entrepreneurs who donate generously to fundraisers, sponsor our school’s sports teams, and help make Fresno better for the rest of us, all year long. ???

Whether it’s to have a great meal, find the perfect holiday gift, or buy something special that’s not available anywhere else, Fresno’s local small businesses always come through for us as shoppers and consumers.? This year’s Small Business Saturday, on November 25th, is a big opportunity for us to give back to them, and the impacts really add up.

According to American Express, the projected total reported spending among U.S. consumers who shopped at independent retailers and restaurants on Small Business Saturday hit a record high in 2022 with an estimated $17.9 billion.?This single day focused on small entrepreneurs has a huge impact in Fresno and around the country, and even better:? those dollars remain in the community.?

According to the American Express Small Business Economic Impact Study, ?$0.68 of every dollar spent at a small business in the U.S. stays in the local community.? Every dollar spent at small businesses also creates an additional $0.48 in local business activity as a result of employees and businesses purchasing local goods and services.

So your small purchases on Saturday make a big difference for Fresno business owners, and it’s easy to do your part. ??Hit the downtown Brewery District for a locally made beer.? Buy fresh ingredients from a local farmers market for a homemade field to table dinner.? Visit a local restaurant for takeout or enjoy a meal. ?All these purchases add up and stay local, circulating back into the region to create even more economic impact in Fresno.

As we all get ready for the holidays, Small Business Saturday is a great way to celebrate the locally owned companies who create jobs, stimulate our city’s economy, and give back so much to the community.? And it’s a chance for each of us to support the homegrown businesses that make Fresno such a special place every day of the year.

Elmy Bermejo ?oversees SBA programs, offices and operations in the SBA’s Pacific region,?serving Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, and Nevada as Region IX Administrator.

Dawn Golik is Director of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Fresno District Office, serving fifteen counties in the San Joaquin Valley and Central Coast, including Fresno.?

?For more information about the SBA, visit www.sba.gov?