Shop Midtown on Small Business Saturday

MIDTOWN, GA — As you're grabbing a bottle at Ansley Wine Merchants, dog treats at The Pet Set or tickets at Fox Theatre, you're doing your part to support small businesses.

Major national retailers pin their hopes for a successful season — or even a successful year — on the revenue on Black Friday. Since 2010, the following Saturday has been an important opportunity for small businesses to do the same and kick off a strong holiday season of sales.

Small Business Saturday is sponsored by American Express and supported by national and local business groups. Sales are important, but so is the holiday reminder that local gifts, treats and services look great under the tree, too.

Find small businesses to support by using the map at ShopSmallNow.com.

“Small business represents 99.7 percent of all U.S. employers, and they provide jobs for 58 million Americans,” said Nicole Riley, Virginia state director of National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). “For many local retail businesses, the holiday shopping season is a make-or-break time, and Americans who want to support their communities and the economy should remember to shop small.”

Around 95 million Americans reported shopping at small businesses last year on Small Business Saturday, and they spent more than $16 billion, an increase of 14 percent from the previous year, according to the post-holiday survey released by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) and American Express.

“Small businesses across the nation are often run by the friends, family and neighbors that we know so well, so supporting them is not only personal but critical to their success,” said NFIB CEO and President Juanita Duggan.

In a recent survey by Bank of America, small business owners pinned much of their success on their local community. Sixty-two percent of those surveyed reported that residents in their community actively supported local businesses, and 47 percent said their community played an important role in the success of their business, according to Bank of America.

Image via Shutterstock