Small Business Saturday is an annual holiday that encourages shoppers to support local businesses. Taking place on the Saturday following Thanksgiving, it stands as a dedicated day to celebrate and rally support for the contributions small businesses make to their communities. This year, amid the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, the emphasis on supporting small businesses is more crucial than ever as they navigate and adapt to evolving circumstances.
The History and Evolution:
As of 2013, communities actively embraced the holiday, expressing solidarity by pledging support for their local businesses and organizations.
The timeline of Small Business Saturday is marked by the following key milestones:
- 2010: Small Business Saturday was launched
- 2011: The U.S. Senate unanimously passes a resolution endorsing the day
- 2013: Over 1400 individuals become “Neighborhood Champions,” organizing local events
- 2015: The Small Business Administration (SBA) becomes a co-sponsor of Small Business Saturday
- 2020: Americans set a record by spending $19.8 billion on Small Business Saturday
- 2021: Shoppers surpass the previous year’s record, contributing over $20 billion
Today, Small Business Saturday has the unwavering support from private sectors, the SBA, and Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), and NASA.
For small business owners, their enterprises transcend mere commercial endeavors — they are extensions of their identities. Supporting local businesses in your community not only ensures their survival but also fosters thriving communities, establishing a symbiotic relationship between these businesses and the people they serve. This year, Small Business Saturday is on November 25, 2023.
Historically, the NASA Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) has celebrated this annual holiday by launching a Small Business Saturday Campaign. Now, in 2023, NASA OSBP developed a comprehensive Small Business Saturday Digital Toolkit. This toolkit comprises of digital posters and a virtual background designed to serve as a call-to-action for small business program specialists to integrate it into meetings for a whole week. Our outreach extended beyond the toolkit, urging followers to embrace the theme of “Shop, Support and Sustain!” We invited everyone to display their support by shopping small and tagging us in their posts on social media.
We continue to invite all individuals to help to make this movement a success! Keep an eye out for our upcoming social media posts, where we will be sharing informative strategy guides and an engaging Small Biz Bingo game. Your participation is key to amplifying the impact of this movement, and we look forward to having you on board for another year of supporting and celebrating local businesses.
NASA OSBP is dedicated to championing and uplifting local businesses making an impact on Small Business Saturday and beyond!
Editor: Maliya Malik, NASA Office of Small Business Programs Intern
