SEMCOG has developed tools to help you promote your favorite local businesses this season. You can share the graphic seen above, as well as this short video (Facebook link here), on social media while tagging your favorite local businesses to help bring them some attention. The video can also be shared on local community TV (file available here) channels.
November 28, 2020 will be Small Business Saturday®. As always, it is on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. American Express coined Small Business Saturday in 2010, and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has co-sponsored the event since 2011. Over the last decade, this occasion has grown in importance as we have thought a bit more deeply about small businesses, which are an inseparable from the fabric of our communities.
The past eight months have brought historic challenges, unseen in a century. In addition to the tragic loss of human life, the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have been severe. Small businesses are more vulnerable, as they have fewer resources to draw on than large corporations. Many small business-owners are fighting right this moment to keep afloat and protect the jobs of their employees.
The holidays will look very different for most families this year, and household budgets have necessarily tightened for many of us. We encourage those who can to look for new ways to spend locally this year.
Why We Love Them
Small businesses help to create “Place” in our communities. From historic downtown specialty stores to our favorite local restaurants and repair shops, putting dollars into local businesses keeps dollars in the local economy, and that goes for the region as well. As many of us are looking for ways to shop safely, which may not be in-person this year, many small local businesses offer online and curbside options.
Thinking about my favorite small businesses brings to mind all the little league trophies, team photos, and special-event SWAG that adorn the walls of local shops who sponsor them. Past studies have shown that – when shopping dollars are spent locally – more money stays with the community, which helps with the building of parks and libraries as well as funding for public safety.
Small businesses are also an important driver to our state’s economy. The SBA 2020 Small Business Profile indicates that 99.6 percent of Michigan businesses are small businesses, employing 49 percent of Michigan employees.
During the upcoming holiday season, SEMCOG encourages you to get the word out about the importance of “Shopping Small.” For our part, we also encourage everyone to Shop Local – Southeast Michigan. Please feel free to use our video and/or graphic to help promote small businesses in your community, perhaps by tagging them (and us) in your social media posts.
You can share the graphic seen above, as well as this short video (Facebook link here), on social media while tagging your favorite local businesses to help bring them some attention. The video can also be shared on local community TV (file available here) channels.
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