As women business owners, many of us own and operate small businesses. To us, it’s no secret that we are the backbone of the U.S. economy—from mom-and-pop storefronts that anchor Main Street and define neighborhoods to high-tech start-ups that keep America on the cutting edge in this global economy. We are the powerful force that is creating two out of every three new jobs in America, helping spur economic development in communities across our country and giving millions of families and individuals the opportunity to achieve the “American dream.”
Two days after Thanksgiving marked the 2nd annual Small Business Saturday—the day between the Black Friday (for big box sales) and Cyber Monday (for online deals) where Americans are encouraged to shop local and small to give these businesses and the local economy a boost this holiday season. NAWBO® was proud to lend support to this grassroots effort by spreading the word to our stakeholders. President Obama stepped up, too, encouraging Americans to visit or shop at local small businesses. He was seen visiting Kramerbooks and Afterwords Café in downtown Washington’s Du Pont Circle area for holiday shopping with his daughters, Sasha and Malia.
While millions of people turned out to shop small for big results on this Small Business Saturday, I’d like to encourage you to continue this support of small businesses throughout the holiday season and beyond. Additionally, I encourage you to support the companies that support us, from American Express who first introduced Small Business Saturday to the many other NAWBO® corporate partners who are tremendous resources for women and small business owners year-round—from Ameriprise Financial and Sam’s Club to UPS, Wells Fargo and Southwest Airlines. These companies know first-hand that you have to start small to grow big. (See our complete list of partners at http://www.nawbo.org/section_116.cfm. Also, check out the companies and organizations that supported Small Business Saturday at http://smallbusinesssaturday.com/)
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, more than 27 million small businesses are currently operating in the U.S. Your favorite restaurant is among them. Take a client to a holiday lunch there. So is our favorite gift shop. Buy something small and meaningful there for someone who referred you business this year. Even better, look for opportunities to support and refer friends and family to small businesses owned by NAWBO® members!
—Diane Tomb, President and CEO