SUCCESS LIES AHEAD FOR SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY
AUGUSTA (November
25, 2015) David Clough, Maine state director of the National Federation
of Independent Business (NFIB), will be available this week to comment on
Small Business Saturday.
“Small Business Saturday is the perfect chance for holiday
shoppers to support their local merchants, who also happen to be vested members
of the community,” Clough said. “When consumers take a trip to Main Street
to this Saturday, they will find themselves amongst their friends and neighbors,”
he said.
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- The holiday shopping
season is critical to many small business businesses, which are only now
recovering from the last recession. According to this month’s NFIB Small
Business Economic Trends report, poor sales remains the fourth-largest
issue facing America’s small businesses, after government regulations,
taxes and finding qualified job applicants. (Read the full report at http://www.NFIB.com/SBET.)
- To that end, a new survey
by NFIB and American Express found that shoppers are wising up to Small
Business Saturday. The survey said 55 percent of U.S. shoppers are aware
of the movement, while 83 percent say Small Business Saturday promotions
make them want to shop at small businesses all year. (Read the full survey
at http://bit.ly/1MBv1QC.)
- Last year, shoppers
spent $14.3 billion at locally-owned stores and restaurants on Small
Business Saturday, an increase of about 2.1 percent from the year before,
according to NFIB and American Express. (Read the earlier survey at http://amex.co/1lefXkN.)
- NFIB encouraged its
small-business members to post their Small Business Saturday plans on
NFIB’s website. NFIB shared stores’ details with its 290,000 Facebook fans
and 110,000 Twitter followers. (To find local businesses that registered,
visit https://www.nfib.com/small-business-saturday/).
“Small Business Saturday is a great opportunity for
shopkeepers to really shine. Unlike big box retailers, small businesses have a
vested interest in ensuring your shopping experience is optimal,” Clough said.
“It’s a great chance for them to win customers who’ll continue to support them
throughout the year.”
