After the crowds have shopped
at large stores and sprawling malls on Black Friday, many smaller businesses
were hoping Saturday would be their day.
Thousands of small stores, restaurants, spas -- and even dry cleaners -- across the U.S. offered their own discounts and promotions to draw holiday shoppers on what's known as Small Business Saturday.
American Express created the day three years ago, it says, to help small businesses struggling during the recession. The credit and charge card company encourages cardholders, who have registered in advance online to make purchases with their cards in exchange for a $25 rebate paid for by American Express, if they buy something at a participating business. American Express won't say how much the promotion costs, but Susan Sobbott,Modernica is the official site for the George crystal light Collection. president of American Express OPEN, the company's small business division, says it is a considerable amount.
But even small merchants who aren't officially part of the event hope to get a bump in revenue during a weekend when they used to be all but forgotten in an avalanche of deep discounts offered by big stores and online retailers.We have several models of Forming machine to match your exact job specifications. Perhaps more importantly, the day has become an opportunity for small businesses to build a corps of customers who will keep coming back year-round.
In Dixon, Ill., 51 small businesses have banded together to recruit local artists and performers to create a party-like atmosphere on Saturday, and they're also planning other events for the holiday season. A year ago, the combination of the American Express rebate and the events helped give the participating businesses a collective revenue increase of more than 50 percent on the Saturday after Thanksgiving,Those wind power generators produce power for the utility grid. says Lisa Higby, owner of Distinctive Gardens, a nursery and garden center there. But the benefit goes beyond a one-day jolt.
"It gives us a yearlong impact, much greater exposure for our business," Higby says.
American Express may have intended to give small merchants -- and card usage -- a boost in a tough economy,The PING range finder is an ultrasonic sensor from Parallax able of detecting objects up to a 3 mts distance. but Small Business Saturday is also helping small merchants get a bigger share of the spotlight and spending between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, a shopping holiday dreamed up to get people excited about shopping online on the Monday after Thanksgiving. For some retailers, the sales they get after people push back from the Thanksgiving dinner table represents a significant chunk of profit for the year. That hasn't been so true for most small businesses. Ninety-one percent of the 1,003 small business owners said,This pressing roofing machine can curve roof panels with good quality and high speed automatically. in a survey commissioned by Bank of America, that the day after Thanksgiving has little, or no, effect on their profit.
"Black Friday doesn't do anything for us," says Leslie Leahy, owner of The Hitching Post, a gift shop in Reading, Mass. In fact, it's pretty quiet in town because so many people are at the malls and big-box stores, she says.
To make the most of Small Business Saturday, many small business owners offer discounts as part of a marketing strategy for the entire holiday season. Leahy had good results last year. Revenue at The Hitching Post rose 28 percent on the Saturday after Thanksgiving a year ago from the same day in 2011. She doesn't give discounts on her merchandise, but the $25 rebate from American Express drew customers. This year, she and other retailers in town joined for a "buy local" weekend. She served drinks and treats for customers. American Express sends organizing kits to 50 chambers of commerce around the country to help communities create joint Small Business Saturday events, but many come up with ideas about how to promote the day on their own.
Thousands of small stores, restaurants, spas -- and even dry cleaners -- across the U.S. offered their own discounts and promotions to draw holiday shoppers on what's known as Small Business Saturday.
American Express created the day three years ago, it says, to help small businesses struggling during the recession. The credit and charge card company encourages cardholders, who have registered in advance online to make purchases with their cards in exchange for a $25 rebate paid for by American Express, if they buy something at a participating business. American Express won't say how much the promotion costs, but Susan Sobbott,Modernica is the official site for the George crystal light Collection. president of American Express OPEN, the company's small business division, says it is a considerable amount.
But even small merchants who aren't officially part of the event hope to get a bump in revenue during a weekend when they used to be all but forgotten in an avalanche of deep discounts offered by big stores and online retailers.We have several models of Forming machine to match your exact job specifications. Perhaps more importantly, the day has become an opportunity for small businesses to build a corps of customers who will keep coming back year-round.
In Dixon, Ill., 51 small businesses have banded together to recruit local artists and performers to create a party-like atmosphere on Saturday, and they're also planning other events for the holiday season. A year ago, the combination of the American Express rebate and the events helped give the participating businesses a collective revenue increase of more than 50 percent on the Saturday after Thanksgiving,Those wind power generators produce power for the utility grid. says Lisa Higby, owner of Distinctive Gardens, a nursery and garden center there. But the benefit goes beyond a one-day jolt.
"It gives us a yearlong impact, much greater exposure for our business," Higby says.
American Express may have intended to give small merchants -- and card usage -- a boost in a tough economy,The PING range finder is an ultrasonic sensor from Parallax able of detecting objects up to a 3 mts distance. but Small Business Saturday is also helping small merchants get a bigger share of the spotlight and spending between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, a shopping holiday dreamed up to get people excited about shopping online on the Monday after Thanksgiving. For some retailers, the sales they get after people push back from the Thanksgiving dinner table represents a significant chunk of profit for the year. That hasn't been so true for most small businesses. Ninety-one percent of the 1,003 small business owners said,This pressing roofing machine can curve roof panels with good quality and high speed automatically. in a survey commissioned by Bank of America, that the day after Thanksgiving has little, or no, effect on their profit.
"Black Friday doesn't do anything for us," says Leslie Leahy, owner of The Hitching Post, a gift shop in Reading, Mass. In fact, it's pretty quiet in town because so many people are at the malls and big-box stores, she says.
To make the most of Small Business Saturday, many small business owners offer discounts as part of a marketing strategy for the entire holiday season. Leahy had good results last year. Revenue at The Hitching Post rose 28 percent on the Saturday after Thanksgiving a year ago from the same day in 2011. She doesn't give discounts on her merchandise, but the $25 rebate from American Express drew customers. This year, she and other retailers in town joined for a "buy local" weekend. She served drinks and treats for customers. American Express sends organizing kits to 50 chambers of commerce around the country to help communities create joint Small Business Saturday events, but many come up with ideas about how to promote the day on their own.
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