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You might recall from last weekend’s edition when FSEDI President Jay Brenchick outlined the importance of Small Business Saturday, which is on Nov. 30. In case you missed or even forgotten his letter, we’ll gladly take some time and space to reiterate the necessity of his message.

First, a brief history: American Express began Small Business Saturday on Nov. 27, 2010, as a way to promote the importance of shopping small and local. In 2011, the United States Senate unanimously passed a resolution of support for the day, which is recognized each year on the Saturday following Thanksgiving and the day after Black Friday.

The National Federation of Independent Business reported that, according to the 2019 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey, last year nearly $18 billion was generated when people shopped at the stores based in their localities. Compare that to the estimated $14.3 billion spent in 2014 at small, independent businesses on SBS, and you easily see how more and more folks are taking the message to heart: Shopping locally supports their communities.

As Brenchick pointed out, “In the United States, an average of two-thirds of every dollar ($0.67) spent at a small business stays in that local community and small businesses employ 47.3 percent of the employees in the private sector. That means shopping small could help bring things like better schools, smoother roads, and new jobs to neighborhoods across the country.”

Finally, we need to stress not to put yourselves in overwhelming debt for holiday shopping. Simply make your budget and stick with it … locally.