Page 81 - South Mississippi Living - November, 2019

FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net November 2019 • SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living 81
fter eating too much Thanksgiving lunch with family and watching rowdy football on Friday, join Coast shoppers who are spending their money in local stores and cafés
on Small Business Saturday.
Independent Business (NFIB) website, the
event, always the Saturday following Thanksgiving, offers shoppers a chance to support small businesses and keep their holiday dollars in the community. American Express Company originated this practice in 2010, which has become an American tradition, and has committed vast resources to make this a game-changer for small companies.
Dr. Stephen Whitt, director of
The Innovation Center says, “The community benefits when we shop locally. The businesses provide taxes locally. We’ve got a great shot at making small businesses become big businesses.”
businesses,
and they’ll
see more business
growth with additional small businesses.”
Adele Lyons, CEO of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce says, “American Express realized the power of small business and that many people were going to the big malls for Christmas shopping or were beginning to order online. They wanted to push Small Business Saturday because those small businesses are really the lifeline of communities.”
The NFIB website affirms, property values will be raised because vibrant, shopping streets are considered a neighborhood advantage when selling a home. Jobs will be created because local businesses establish local jobs. Frequently, these are jobs that pay more than those at chain stores.
Local businesses give a community its flair. The combined presence of a town’s many small businesses makes it different
from every other city in the
world. By supporting those businesses, a person guarantees that individuality is preserved
as a part of a community. Lyons continues, “It gives people some options locally to get out and explore, see what businesses are accessible and what products and services they offer. Sometimes people do not have a full grasp of what is available right in their own backyard. Shopping locally is just a smart move for a community.”
Consumers who shop nearby appreciate avoiding the wild crowds, unfriendly employees and the fairly nonexistent bargains of Black Friday, and partakers can sleep late and meet for breakfast at a local, independent eatery followed by shopping in small stores.
Dr. Whitt echoes, “The biggest impact is that they’re likely to reinvest profits locally. They’re going to create jobs that go straight back to the local community.”
Usually, the business owner is directly linked to every employee in the store which leads to personal service. “I think people enjoy the experience of walking in a small store that has character and charm. They have the chance to interact with the retailers and owners of restaurants. They’re going to get some personal service. I think Small Business Saturday shopping is going to continue to be very popular,” says Lyons.
Lyons says, “They’re seeing their friends and neighbors as well as doing business with their child’s classmates’ parents. It helps tighten a community because they’re establishing relationships with
They’re going to employ people locally, so those dollars are flowing throughout a community where
an employee buys groceries at a local grocery store, uses the dry cleaners and goes to the dentist. The turnover of dollars is more effective when people shop with local, small
According to the National
people who are there.”
The NFIB website states, shopping
Federation of
small supports local schools, police departments and fire departments. Most of the money that is spent and taxes stay local. For every $100 spent at a neighboring business, $68 stays in the community, while only $43 of each $100 spent at a chain retailer remains local. Online virtually no money remains local.
Lyons says, “Small businesses that are started by someone locally are generally where you’re going to
see the growth in your community from a business standpoint.