Support your local shop or restaurant on Small Business Saturday
Remember the glory days of your youth? Your summer nights and weekends were spent playing Little League baseball. In other seasons you may have played organized soccer or basketball. The teams were almost always sponsored by one of your community's small businesses. They were the ones who paid entry fees, helped with the uniforms and became the places you went after the games for a post-game team snack...in which they generously picked up the tab.
In my small Chicago suburban town, they included businesses such as Mr. Rickey's, Fergus Ford, Allen Lee Electronics, Polk Brothers and Dempster Pharmacy. Those names bring back memories from six decades ago.
The tradition of local business sponsoring teams has continued through the years. Some of the sponsors of my daughter's softball and basketball teams included Pinocchio's Pizza, Big Herms hot dogs and Dr. Uyeda's Optometry. I remember walking into the doctor's office a few years after he sponsored a team and seeing one of our team's picture on the wall....along with about twenty other youth teams
It's not only youth sports. When schools need to raise funds, one of the first places they go is to these local businesses for either money, items to donate...or both. And more often than not those businesses come through and they're happy to do so.
2020 has been rough on small businesses in America. The coronavirus pandemic has caused many of them to close. For those that have managed to survive, revenue and profits are way down. Many have been forced to layoff employees just to keep their doors open.
Today is Small Business Saturday in America. It's always held on the first Saturday following Thanksgiving. While Black Friday is usually a boon to the major operators, Small Business Saturday focuses on making your holiday purchases from the stores that support your neighborhood.
This is your opportunity to give back to the folks who supported you, your children, your teams, your schools and your community. This is your opportunity to pay them back for all the charity and good will they've given you through the years. Yes, those Black Friday deals will continue and they'll still be there after today. But, if you're shopping today, find your local clothing or toy store. Check out your local bookstore. Go to the small restaurant on the corner instead of one of the larger chains....and don't forget to give a larger than normal tip!
By doing this, you may be helping a small business stay in business. Plus, the money you give stays in your community. It's a win/win!
It's only one day. But that one day may give a lifeline to people who desperately need it now.
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