Small Business Saturday In Minneapolis: See Special Sales, Deals

MINNEAPOLIS — Saturday, Nov. 25, is an important day for independently-owned local businesses in Minneapolis. It’s Small Business Saturday, the kickoff to “shop small” events that emphasize the power of dollars spent in local communities.

Founded by American Express in 2010, Small Business Saturday is sandwiched between the major Black Friday retail shopping holiday that tends to favor national brands and Cyber Monday, an online shopping event that this year takes place on Nov. 27.

The following local businesses are participating in this year's event:

• Bauer Brothers Salvage
• Clockwerks Brewery
• Hells Kitchen
• Pacifier
• Surdyks

List small businesses that are participating, and the deals/specials they'll have. Call a few local business owners/local chamber chair for comment on the shop small day.

Since it started in 2010, consumers have reported spending an estimated $163 billion at small businesses across all 12 Small Business Saturdays combined.

Local businesses depend on increased sales in the last few months of the year to help them reach their revenue goals, and you’ll find plenty of in-store cheer and holiday happenings that will make the shopping experience fun.

Locally owned businesses recirculate a far greater percentage of revenue locally compared to absentee-owned businesses, according to the American Independent Business Alliance. Independents return about 48 percent of their revenues back into the local economy, compared to 14 percent returned to the local economy by chains.

Small businesses are typically defined by the federal government as those with fewer than 500 employees.

They are responsible for two of every three jobs over the past 25 years. Even a partial collapse of small businesses could weaken the overall U.S. economy, according to the Labor Department.