Small Business Saturday has become a major shopping day, with people spending an estimated $22 billion at independent shops and restaurants last year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
Now in its 16th year, Small Business Saturday is a great opportunity for your Main Street business to bring in new customers, increase holiday sales, and turn holiday shoppers and diners into regular customers who’ll return throghout the year.

Here are some simple tips to help your business have a successful Small Business Saturday:

Printed marketing materials continue to be a valuable tool for small businesses preparing for seasonal shopping events. Strategically distributed flyers can help increase local visibility, promote special offers, and encourage customers to visit a store during busy holiday weekends. When combined with other outreach efforts, they can help drive awareness and boost foot traffic.

• Promote in advance. Tell regular customers about your plans. Use signs, bag stuffers, and flyers to remind them to come back.

• Leverage social media. Use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X to post regularly about your Small Business Saturday deals.

• Keep it festive. Decorations and even special treats can help put shoppers in the mood to buy gifts for others—and maybe for themselves, too.

• Showcase gift ideas. Group items with signs suggesting they’re perfect for Mom, grandparents, or kids. Restaurants can highlight holiday specials or gift cards. And if you want to give those presents a little extra personality, adding a small keepsake can make all the difference—think of a thoughtful tag or charm that sticks around long after the wrapping paper is gone. A simple accessory, paired with wholesale custom keychains, can turn even the most traditional gift into something memorable, the kind people carry daily without even realizing it started as a holiday extra. It’s a subtle touch, but sometimes the smallest additions end up stealing the show.

• Offer doorbusters. Exclusive deals at set times of the day can drive traffic, just like the chain stores do.

• Partner with nearby businesses. Pool resources for advertising or in-store promotions. For example, if a customer buys at one shop, suggest a complementary deal at another.