NFIB State Director Barbara Quandt is urging people to support local, independent businesses throughout the holiday season.
In a column that ran before Thanksgiving in The Journal Gazette of Fort Wayne and elsewhere, Quandt encouraged readers to shop small not only on Small Business Saturday but throughout the holiday season. Small Business Saturday was Nov. 26. Shoppers spent an estimated $23.3 billion nationwide on Small Business Saturday, according to a survey by American Express and NFIB.
“It’s been a rough past 18 months for our hard-working small business owners,” Quandt said. “It started with the COVID-19 pandemic, which blossomed into related issues such as a labor shortage, supply chain issues, and now the continuing pessimism about their future.
“Here’s what small business owners need right now: a boost to business and a promise from their local community that they will continue to support them during this challenging economic time.
“Here in Indiana, we’ve been lucky, and a bit sheltered from other states,” she said. “Our state is well run and for the most part, Indiana kept the doors of small business open when other state governments mandated they close. However, many of our small business owners were still forced to shut down, stop production on products and lay off employees. Indiana hasn’t gone unscathed from this unprecedented global pandemic.
“The hope is that our local communities can come together and give them a much-needed boost while they work to recover from this unprecedented challenge,” she said.
She said an estimated 67 cents of every dollar spent at a small business stays in the local community. “That’s why I’m encouraging everyone to shop small on Saturday and throughout the year. When we help small businesses, we really do help everyone.”
