Community leaders encourage people to partake in Small Business Saturday

With the holiday shopping season officially getting underway this week, many will be tempted to seek out those Black Friday or Cyber Monday deals.

Local leaders though are encouraging people to keep their money in their small towns.

"Our small businesses rely on us," Cheyenne County Chamber Director McKailie Carnahan-Kuhns said. "They don't have big commercials or anything like that to get people into their storefronts."

Small Business Saturday began in 2010 as an American Express campaign to help businesses during an economic recession. The next year, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved a resolution in support of the day. Since then, it has grown year by year. American Express estimates over $120 billion have been spent at local shops on Small Business Saturday since its inception.

With many businesses still on the rebound from the pandemic, supporting them remains important for small towns.

"I think you'd be surprised how much our small businesses have to offer," Carnahan-Kuhns said. "Also when you shop small at a business in our community, you're not just throwing money out into the world. It goes right back to someone you know. It's your neighbor, your friend, it's the person who coaches your kids basketball team." 

It could even bring future growth and prosperity to small town America.

"For every $100 that's spent in your community, $68 stays in your community," Carnahan-Kuhns said. "That's a really big deal. If our small businesses in our town are doing well, that could attract other small businesses."

In Cheyenne County, the chamber incentivizing people to take part.

"I'll be downtown Saturday morning through the afternoon," Carnahan-Kuhns said. "If I find you shopping local, I'll have some goodies to give to you for free just because we think it's so important, especially in a post-COVID year, to support local businesses and show them we want them to be successful."

So this weekend, get out and see what your community has to offer.