|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Alabama will once again celebrate small businesses on Saturday as shoppers begin preparing for Christmas.
Gov. Kay Ivey on Wednesday signed a proclamation declaring Nov. 25 as Small Business Saturday in the state of Alabama.
By designating the Saturday following Thanksgiving Day as Small Business Saturday, Alabamians are encouraged to celebrate and support the impact small businesses have on communities across the state.
“Small Business Saturday serves as an important reminder of the immense value our local businesses bring to our state. These enterprises play a pivotal role in our state’s economy, driving innovation, providing employment and preserving the vitality of our communities,” Ivey said. “I encourage all Alabamians to spend locally this Saturday. To put plainly, when you support an Alabama small business, you invest in our communities, our state and our people.”
Alabama’s 2023 small business profile, composed annually by the U.S. Small Business Administration, shows small businesses account for Alabama’s leading presence in industries across the globe while employing nearly half of the state’s citizens.
“Small Business Saturday presents a remarkable occasion to extend support towards Alabama’s 422,518 small businesses, which notably make up 99.4% of the entire state and these small enterprises also employ 818,234 individuals or 46% of all Alabama employees,” said U.S. Small Business Administration Alabama District Director Thomas Todt. “The upcoming Black Friday holds its own significance; however, I earnestly implore you to reserve a portion of your resources for supporting small businesses on Saturday, November 25 by shopping small in your communities as this will not only positively impact small businesses but entire communities.”
NFIB, the state’s leading small business advocacy organization, thanked Governor Kay Ivey for the Small Business Saturday proclamation.
“On behalf of our members, I want to thank Governor Ivey for supporting Main Street shops and restaurants by proclaiming the Saturday after Thanksgiving as Small Business Saturday in Alabama,” said Rosemary Elebash, NFIB Alabama State Director.
“Small business is the engine that drives our economy,” Elebash said. “When we support locally owned shops and restaurants, we support our friends and neighbors. We support the businesses that create jobs, sponsor our kids’ sports teams, and give to local charities. And when you shop at a small business, there’s a good chance you’re dealing directly with the owner, someone with a vested interest in turning you from a seasonal shopper to someone who comes back throughout the year.”
According to research conducted by NFIB, 67 cents of every dollar spent at a family-owned small business stays in the community. Every dollar spent at a local small business creates an additional 50 cents in local business activity as employers and their employees shop at other local businesses.
