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Health & Fitness

The Importance of Small Business Saturday: Nov. 26

On Nov. 26, please shop small at your favorite local stores in Westwood and surrounding areas, and help fuel the economy.

For the second year, Small Business Saturday will take place this Saturday, Nov. 26. It is a day dedicated to supporting small businesses. Planted strategically between and Cyber Monday, it reminds consumers to support small, independently owned local businesses, which in turn will create jobs, boost the economy and invigorate neighborhoods in America. 

What is a small business?

Wikapedia says: “A small business can be started at a very low cost and on a part-time basis. Small business proprietors tend to be intimate with their customers…make their own decisions . . . have to work very long hours and understand that ultimately their customers are their bosses. In the U.S., small business accounts for around half the GDP and more than half the employment.”

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Why create Small Business Saturday? 

Small Business Saturday was created in response to small business owners' need to sell their products and services to stay in business. These businesses are important to writers, artists, craftspeople, and entrepreneurs of all kinds. 

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Why is it important to support small businesses?

Local businesses are more likely to supply products that are produced locally. They offer diversity. “When towns are interesting, they attract people from out of town. More personality and individuality can lead to more tourists, which, in turn leads to money placed directly into the community.” [Santa Fe Independent Business Report]. 

“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and the glue that holds communities together, and we’ve always sought new ways to support them – something that became even more important when the national economic downturn began,” said Mayor Bloomberg.

Said Mr. Kenneth Chenault, chairman and chief executive officer of American Express., “Small business is the engine of job creation in the US economy. It is also among the sectors hardest hit by the recession. By spreading the word about Small Business Saturday, we can help raise awareness about the critical role small businesses play in cities and towns across the country at a time when they need support the most.” 

How can I support a small business?

Read more about it on Westwood Patch by clicking here, and be sure to log onto Facebook for additional information.

This blog was submitted by Lisa W B Walker, an artist selling her pottery at Dedham Square Artist Guild, a cooperative shop in Dedham, and, Custom Art Framing/ Gallery 9 in Norwood.  Both businesses are small and local and support creative people living in and around the Westwood area. She asks that you support these small businesses and others like them on Small Business Saturday.

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The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?