KEEPING IT LOCAL / IN-DEPTH
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LOCAL SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY IS HELPING INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES STAY AFLOAT. ////////// BY DAMON ORION
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or many of us, the name “Black Friday” conjures up images of consumers descending on the shopping QEPPW MR W[EVQW Ƥ KLXMRK one another tooth-and-claw for the last remaining Xboxes, coffeemakers and children’s dolls. Yet according to Bryce Root, owner of the small business marketing consultancy The Root Group and co-founder of the small business advocacy organization Slingshot to Success, there’s a bright side to Black Friday and the season that it kicks off. “For many local businesses, the holiday season is what makes their year,” Root notes. “It puts them in the ‘black’ and eliminates the threat of closure, which usually takes place MR XLI Ƥ VWX UYEVXIV MJ XLI LSPMHE]W haven’t gone as planned.” Root sees this as a good reason to shop at local stores as opposed to big-box or corporate outlets.
“When you think about it, the heart of Thanksgiving is all about celebrating community and being thankful and cognizant of family, friends and everyone around us,” he offers. “So by supporting local businesses, you’re able to ensure that those businesses in your community are supported and will remain open for many years to come.”
Especially useful in this regard is Black Friday’s lesser-known cousin, Small Business Saturday, which takes place on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Established in 2010, the event was designed to encourage people all over the country to support local small businesses. Small Business 7EXYVHE] [EW SJƤ GMEPP] VIGSKRM^IH F] the U.S. Senate in 2011, with everyone
“By supporting local businesses, you’re able to ensure that those businesses in your community are supported and will remain open for many years to come.”
INSIGHT • MOMENTUM • IMPACT
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