This Saturday, November 28, 2020 is Small Business Saturday; a day dedicated to supporting the many different small businesses in our community. Falling between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, it’s a day to support the local businesses that make up the backbone of our economy.

Small Business Saturday was originally founded in 2010 by American Express and has been going strong ever since, even sparking the formation of the Small Business Saturday Coalition in 2011. The original goal of the movement was to bring more customers to small businesses to help them remain open and profitable during the recession. This year, after the many struggles our local retailers have faced due to the pandemic, it’s just as important to remember them during the start of the crucial holiday shopping season. As we enter the time of year focused on giving and hope, here are a few things you can do to help support the small businesses in your community.

Participate in Small Business Saturday.

If you plan to start your holiday shopping this weekend, make sure you visit the local shops in your community and not just drop your dollars at the big box stores. To help promote sales and increase traffic during this event, many local stores are offering special promotions for Small Business Saturday.  They have also adjusted their operations in order to stay relevant and safe by offering online sales, phone sales, and a variety of delivery options for your convenience.

Order your holiday meal and goodies from a local restaurant or bakery.

Restaurants continue to be one of the businesses hit hardest during the pandemic due to mandated restrictions. If your local restaurants and bakeries are open, help them out by ordering take out or delivery. Many places are offering contactless pick-up or delivery. Whether it’s for the upcoming holiday or just a Friday night meal, make a call to one of the restaurants in your area to order your food. Plus, it’s a night you don’t have to cook! It’s a win-win situation!

Write a review when you’ve had a good experience.

While many businesses work hard to keep their doors open, one of the best ways you can support them is by providing positive reviews of their products and services. Word-of-mouth advertising is still one of the best channels to bring in customers. Talk to your family and friends about the coffee shop down the street or rave to them about the cake you got at the bakery. Go online and leave a 5-star review for the shop that stayed open late for you or the hardware store that went out of their way to special order your merchandise. There are many local retailers that will go the extra mile every day to provide an enhanced customer experience. Now is the time to make sure that everyone knows how hard they work for their customers.

Utilize social media to help the community.

If you shop or order from a local business, make sure to share pictures of your purchases on social media and tag the business. Helping out with extra exposure and free advertising can be the difference between 2 items sold and 15 items sold. Every view or post will make a huge difference. It could be the difference between breaking even and turning a profit.

Be mindful of the businesses in your community.

Throughout the year, our small businesses get bombarded with donation requests and fundraising efforts. Now is the time to pay them back and demonstrate the community spirit they exemplified by donating gift certificates or raffle baskets to community events and fundraisers.

Overall, be kind and courteous this holiday season. It has been a rough year for many individuals and businesses. Please take a minute to stop and think about the people behind the small businesses and what they have gone through. Your purchase could be the reason their store stays open to see 2021.

First Keystone Community Bank wishes you and your family a very Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving!