WASHINGTON, Nov. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice in President Biden’s Cabinet for America’s more than 34 million small businesses, is urging Americans to embrace the spirit of the holiday season by supporting local small businesses on Small Business Saturday, an annual event founded by American Express and celebrating its 15^th anniversary in 2024. The event takes place the Saturday following Thanksgiving, which falls on Nov. 30 this year, and will be the kickoff of SBA’s 2^nd annual holiday campaign, the Season of Small Business™.

“Small Business Saturday has become America’s call to action to support the backbone of our economy and heart of our communities – our small businesses,” said Administrator Guzman. “America’s incredible entrepreneurs create jobs, drive innovation, and strengthen our communities, shaping the unique character of neighborhoods across America. This year, as we continue to enjoy an unprecedented Small Business Boom, I encourage everyone to Gift Big and Shop Local™ by supporting local businesses and the millions of hardworking Americans behind them.”

SBA’s Season of Small Business will continue through December and encourages consumers to support small businesses throughout the holiday season. During the Biden-Harris Administration, the U.S. has experienced a small business boom with nearly 20 million new business applications filed nationwide, driven mostly by women and people of color.

SBA has been proud to support Small Business Saturday since 2011 to help drive consumer spending at independently owned small businesses in the wake of the financial crisis. The day is dedicated to celebrating local businesses that create jobs, help boost the economy and enhance neighborhoods around the country. According to American Express, the projected total reported spending among U.S. consumers who shopped at independent retailers and restaurants on Small Business Saturday since its founding has reached an estimated $201 billion[i].  

SBA continues to help entrepreneurs leverage new opportunities during Season of Small Business’ busy shopping season with this year’s 15th annual Small Business Saturday. Shoppers are encouraged to showcase their shopping experiences by posting photographs on social media using the hashtags:

• #ShopSmall
• #SmallBizSaturday
• #ShopLocal
• #IShoppedSmall
• #GiftBigShopLocal

To learn more about SBA’s support of Small Business Saturday, visit sba.gov/saturday.

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About the U.S. Small Business Administration 
The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, or expand their businesses or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit sba.gov. 

Cosponsorship Authorization #24-57-C. SBA’s participation in this cosponsored activity is not an endorsement of the views, opinions, products or services of any cosponsor or other person or entity. All SBA programs and services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis.

[i] This spend statistic is an aggregate of the average spend as reported by consumers who shopped small on Small Business Saturday in surveys commissioned by American Express reporting spend habits on Small Business Saturday since 2012. It does not reflect actual receipts, sales or American Express Card Member Spending data. Each such survey was conducted online among a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults. The data was projected from the samples based on then-current U.S. Census estimates of the U.S. adult population (18+).

SBA HQ Press Office
U.S. Small Business Administration
press_office@sba.gov