Small Business Saturday Means Big Opportunities For Central California’s Local Entrepreneurs

Tucked between national retailer discounts on Black Friday and online bargains during Cyber Monday, this year’s Small Business Saturday on November 30th is an opportunity for each of us to support local entrepreneurs.? Founded by American Express? and officially cosponsored by the SBA since 2011, Small Business Saturday focuses consumers on supporting our country’s 34 million small businesses.

?Whether it’s to have a great meal, find the perfect holiday gift, or buy something special that’s not available anywhere else, Central California’s locally owned businesses – like those found at Bakersfield’s Antique District, Monterey’s Cannery Row or Fresno’s Tower District – are the heart and soul of neighborhoods around the region. This year’s Small Business Saturday, on November 30th, is a big opportunity for us to come through for our community’s entrepreneurs, and the impacts of each of us doing our part really add up.

According to American Express, in 2023 U.S. consumers who shopped at independent retailers and restaurants on Small Business Saturday spent about $17 billion.?Not only did that single shopping day have a huge economic impact on America’s 34 million small businesses, but even better, the revenue remained 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 local, and each dollar spent at small businesses creates an additional $0.48 in local business activity.

So even little purchases on Small Business Saturday make a big difference - and it’s easy to do your part. ??Hit a craft brewer for a locally made beer.? Buy fresh ingredients from a farmer’s market to cook dinner.? Visit a local restaurant for a sandwich or coffee. ?All these purchases add up, stay local, and circulate back through the community, creating even more economic impact around the Central California region. ?

As we all get ready for the holidays, Small Business Saturday on November 30th is a great way to celebrate the locally owned companies who created jobs and contributed to our region’s economy in 2024.? And it’s a opportunity for each of us to support the homegrown businesses that make Central California such a special place - every day of the year.

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?Dawn Golik is Director of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Fresno District Office, serving the fifteen counties of California’s San Joaquin Valley and Central Coast region. For more information about the US Small Business Administration, visit www.sba.gov

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