“…So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor.
Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
─Mark Twain
After the feasting and the football, we kick off holiday shopping. Defined by days of the week, we have Black Friday. Cyber Monday. And importantly, Small Business Saturday.
We celebrate local small businesses and America’s entrepreneurial spirit this year on Saturday, November 26th. Entrepreneurs. You know them: Independent local restaurants, coffee shops, hair dressers, nail salons, bakeries, vintage clothing stores, boutiques, gift shops. Hardware stores that bit the bullet and challenged the big guys.
All the places where people go holiday shopping or get ready for family gatherings and holiday celebrations. All the entrepreneurs who had a dream and a plan and took a chance. And they need support more than ever as they start fresh after the pandemic and the economy hit them hard.
As SBA lenders, you know them. They could be your account holders or have a business loan with you. Small Business Saturday gives you an opportunity to check in on the local small businesses in your portfolio. Reach out. Drop in. How’s business? Follow up: Communicate with local small business owners about SBA loans and Agency resources.
SBA has co-sponsored this day since 2011, encouraging shoppers to explore the creative originality of local small shops. And importantly, deciding to Shop Small® on the Saturday after Thanksgiving has benefitted the economy – an estimated $23.3 billion spent at nearly 32 million small businesses in 2021*. Ongoing SBA initiatives, plus new legislation and regulations, give a big boost. Yet small businesses need more support – and more than one good day a year – to survive and thrive.
Let’s give America’s small businesses a leg up. Support the entrepreneurs who followed their dreams. It’s good business!
Your JRB Team
*2021 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey commissioned by American Express.