5 Reasons to Shop Small This Holiday Season

It’s that time of year again! The holiday commercials are appearing, countdowns are beginning and shoppers are starting to get serious about getting everything on their lists. During the biggest shopping season of the year, it’s important to consider why you should choose to shop at small businesses and support your local community.

1.) You’ll help your local economy. By shopping local, you are putting money back into the community — what you spend goes back into the schools, police and fire departments in your neighborhood.

2.) You’ll get a personal touch you can’t find at big retailers. The beauty of small businesses is that they are run by the people in your community. Stepping into a local restaurant, shop or spa means you are meeting your neighbors.

3.) You can make a difference. There has been a recent shift towards supporting local farms, shops and economies, which has become attractive to a great deal of young people concerned about social responsibility. Shopping at local businesses is one way you can join the movement.

4.) You’ll help create jobs. Small businesses are growing daily and currently are home to over half of all jobs in the U.S. They have also been the reason for 66% of all new jobs since the 1970s, according to the SBA.

5.)You’ll help the national economy. About 120 million people in the U.S. are employed by small businesses, according to Forbes, which is over half of the working population.

Another way you can support local this holiday season? Go shopping on Small Business Saturday!

November 28th is Small Business Saturday — a time to go out and support the local businesses in your neighborhood! With American Express as a founding partner, Small Business Saturday began in 2010 on the Saturday after Thanksgiving to encourage people to shop at the local businesses in their communities. Since then, it has been going strong, gaining more and more shoppers getting started on their holiday lists.

For more insight into Small Business Saturday, watch this video from American Express.

Originally published at blog.mainstreethub.com on November 13, 2015.