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Nov. 26 - Shop & celebrate local businesses at Small Business Saturday



  Nov. 10, 2011

  Contact: Kelly Corsette, communications & public affairs director
  480-312-2336

  Shop & celebrate local businesses at Small Business Saturday

You’ve heard of Black Friday and Cyber Monday – but this year, join in Small Business Saturday on Nov. 26 to support and celebrate the role of small businesses in our economy.

Small Business Saturday is a national push to encourage people to “shop small.” Scottsdale is hosting this year’s Arizona celebration of small businesses – one of 15 events being held across the country as part of the national Small Business Saturday campaign.

What:

      Small Business Saturday on the Scottsdale Waterfront
The event will feature an array of small businesses with special offers and discounts along with raffles and giveaways, food vendors, holiday music, gift wrapping and more

When:

 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 26

Schedule:
10:00 a.m.    Fountain of Life Church Choir
10:30 a.m.    Remarks & ceremony with Mayor Jim Lane
10:40 a.m.    Prize Drawing
11:00 a.m.    Music from PK Rockz
11:50 a.m.    Prize Drawing
Noon            Santa and his miniature reindeer arrive
                   Dickens Carolers perform
1:00 p.m.      Prize Drawing
2:00 p.m.      Santa and his reindeer head back to the North Pole

Where:

 The Plaza on SouthBridge at the Scottsdale Waterfront (6th Avenue and Stetson Drive)

Who:

 Scottsdale Mayor W.J. “Jim” Lane will kick-off the event, joined by small businesses and the consumers who support them

Why:

 To celebrate and support the small businesses in every community that provide goods and services for residents and visitors and jobs for residents

Why shop small?

According to the Small Business Administration, small businesses generated 64 percent of net new jobs over the past 15 years and employ just over half of all private sector employees.

Local governments in Arizona are also quick to point out that dollars spent locally generate sales tax that supports the municipal services that residents count on, like police and fire protection, transportation, recreation programs and libraries.

Local First Arizona, a non-profit organization that supports and promotes local businesses in Arizona, reports that when money is spent at locally owned businesses, that money is re-circulated over and over and creates up to 75 percent more tax revenue to the community and state.

In Scottsdale, business and sales taxes account for 27 percent of all city revenues – more than $154.5 million last fiscal year. Much of that comes from small, locally-owned business like those being promoted at Small Business Saturday.

"Scottsdale is thrilled to host Small Business Saturday to support small businesses all across Arizona,” says Jim Mullin, the city’s business and economic vitality director. “Our team is ready to assist business owners who want to open a new business or expand an existing one in Scottsdale. 

Contact the city’s business and economic vitality department at 480-312-7989.

Do you “like” small businesses?

The Small Business Saturday Coalition has created Facebook.com/SmallBusinessSaturday where consumers and business owners can participate in many ways, including:
  • To build online buzz and drive customers to their stores on Small Business Saturday, American Express is giving $100 of free Facebook advertising to 10,000 business owners who sign up at Facebook.com/SmallBusinessSaturday. By simply entering a few pieces of information and clicking a button, these business owners can create a personalized, geo-targeted ad that will run on Facebook leading up to Nov. 26. 
  • Small business owners can go to Facebook.com/SmallBusinessSaturday to download online promotional materials that will help them drive sales to their business on Small Business Saturday.

$25 for American Express users

American Express is giving a $25 statement credit to 200,000 card members who register their card at Facebook.com/SmallBusinessSaturday and use it to shop on Small Business Saturday at any locally-owned, independent small business that accepts American Express.  

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