Leah Long
- Small Business Saturday is November 28, the Saturday after Thanksgiving. It’s a good time to visit a nearby shop or enjoy a meal at a local restaurant.
The right holiday gift can do more than make someone smile. When you shop small and shop local, it can help support the place you call home.
Small Business Saturday is November 28, the Saturday after Thanksgiving. It’s a good time to visit a nearby shop or enjoy a meal at a local restaurant.
As the Mississippi state director of the National Federation of Independent Business, I hear from owners who have put their savings, time and effort into growing their businesses and serving their communities. They know they have to earn your business with good products, fair prices and service that brings you back.
There are plenty of reasons to give them a chance.
An independent bookshop can help you choose a novel for someone who seems to have read everything. A nearby store might sell handmade pottery, jewelry or foods made from a family recipe.
Gifts made close to home can come with stories that makes them special.
Good service can make shopping easier, too. If you’re unsure which tool to buy or what size to choose, someone who knows the products can help you get it right. Often, that person is the owner, who takes pride in what they sell.
Your purchase also helps people beyond the person who gets the gift.
Small businesses provide jobs for our neighbors. Those paychecks help families cover groceries, housing and other bills. Owners buy supplies, use local services and pay taxes that help support schools, roads and other public needs.
Think about what happens when you eat at a family restaurant. The owner may buy bread from a nearby bakery, hire a local company to fix the cooler and use an accountant down the street.
Your lunch helps support more than one business.
These ties help keep our communities going. So do the things owners do to give back, such as sponsor a youth ball team, donate a raffle prize or give neighbors a place to gather.
Small Business Saturday gives us a chance to support local businesses during the holidays. But one busy day can only do so much. For a neighborhood shop or restaurant, every sale helps cover the cost of keeping the doors open.
Congress can give small businesses one less thing to worry about. A federal rule now exempts businesses formed in the U.S. from beneficial ownership information reporting, which requires certain companies to tell the government who owns or controls them. The law behind that requirement, the Corporate Transparency Act, is still on the books. My organization, the National Federation of Independent Business, is asking Congress to repeal it so the filing requirement can’t return for U.S. businesses under that law.
Here at home, one of the best things we can do is keep coming back. Steady sales help local owners plan ahead, keep people working and serve their customers year-round.
After the holidays, keep those places in mind. Visit a local shop for a birthday gift. Meet friends at an independent restaurant. Call a hometown florist, bakery or repair service when you need one.
If your schedule makes it hard to shop in person, check whether the business offers online ordering, delivery or pickup.
You can also help without spending more. Leave an honest review, tell a friend about a good experience or share a business’s social media posts. A few kind words may help an owner reach a new customer.
This Small Business Saturday, make room on your shopping list for a place you haven’t tried or a favorite you haven’t visited lately. Ask questions, browse the shelves and stop for a meal.
You may find just the gift you need, discover a new favorite restaurant or meet someone who can help with your next project.
Then keep those businesses in mind throughout the year. Giving our neighbors a chance to earn our business is one way we can all help our hometowns strong.
