Small Business Saturday a chance to help Local Economy

Holiday shoppers can make a big difference in their communities by shopping at small businesses the Saturday after Thanksgiving, exclaims Ben Homeyer, state director of the National Federation of Independent Business. “Black Friday is when people like to get up early and fight over parking spaces and line up outside the chain stores, but if you’re looking for something unique and want to support your friends and neighbors, you need to support Small Business Saturday,” Homeyer said. NFIB/South Carolina is the state’s leading small-business association. The holiday shopping season is crucial to the state’s small businesses, which are still recovering from the slowdown in the economy. “Small business is what our economy is all about, and if we’re going to create jobs, we need a healthy small business community,” Homeyer said. Shoppers are wising up to Small Business Saturday. Last year, shoppers spent $5.7 billion at locally owned shops and restaurants on Small Business Saturday, according to a survey conducted by American Express and the National Federation of Independent Business. Last year’s total marked a 3.6% increase over 2012’s event.