Money Makers: Tips for a Successful Small Business Saturday

Minnesota’s leading small-business association is spreading the word with its members and other Main Street entrepreneurs to prepare for Small Business Saturday, which this year will be November 24.

“Traditionally, the holiday shopping season has kicked off with Black Friday, but we are encouraged each year by the number of people who are participating in Small Business Saturday,” said Mike Hickey, NFIB’s Minnesota state director. “Small Business Saturday isn’t about getting up before dawn, fighting traffic, jostling with crowds, and standing in long lines to save a few bucks. It is a day to celebrate and support the small, family-run businesses that do so much throughout the year to support our community.”

Last year, U.S. shoppers spent nearly $13 billion at small, independent stores and restaurants the Saturday after Thanksgiving, according to a survey by NFIB and American Express. Ninety percent of consumers surveyed said Small Business Saturday has a positive impact on their communities.

NFIB suggests ways shops and restaurants can make the most of Small Business Saturday:

• Stay on top of your social media. If you're on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram or Pinterest, post often and promote any Small Business Saturday deals. Use the hashtags #ShopSmall and #SmallBizSat so shoppers can find you easily. 

• Showcase the merchandise that would make a great gift. Group items on a table with a sign saying it would be the perfect gift for dad or a great gift for the grandparents. Restaurants can offer Small Business Saturday specials and gift cards.

• Steal a page from the Black Friday playbook and offer doorbusters. Chain stores know a great way to drive shoppers to their stores is by offering special deals at different times of the day. There's no reason a small business can't do the same thing.

• Partner with nearby businesses. Pool your resources to buy advertising promoting the neighborhood as a shopping destination or team up with other businesses on in-store promotions. For example, if they buy a pair of shoes here, let them know they can save 10 percent on socks next door.

• Don’t forget to tell your regular customers about Small Business Saturday. Put a sign in your shop and flyers in bags reminding folks to come back the Saturday after Thanksgiving for special deals. Download free “Shop Small” signs from www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/shop-small/promote.  

“The money spent in a small business, for the most part, remains in that community,” said Hickey. “When you shop at a chain store, most of the money goes back to some corporate office somewhere, but when you shop on Main Street, that money stays on Main Street.”

NFIB is the state's leading small-business association. To learn more, visit www.nfib.com/MN and follow @NFIB_MN on Twitter.

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For more than 75 years, NFIB has been advocating on behalf of America’s small and independent business owners, both in Washington, D.C., and in all 50 state capitals. NFIB is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and member-driven. Since our founding in 1943, NFIB has been exclusively dedicated to small and independent businesses and remains so today. For more information, please visit nfib.com.