The U.S. Small Business Administration urges Delawareans to shop local this Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021 - “Small Business Saturday.”
Small Business Saturday is held every year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
And the SBA’s Delaware district director John Fleming says it’s a big deal for these small shops - especially in recent years.
“You can expect lots of support for small businesses. There’s 30 million small businesses now (nationwide)," Fleming said. "And we can expect a big emphasis on getting out to the small businesses. They’ve obviously really struggled in the last couple of years and while many feel like they’re coming out of it, now many are experiencing supply chain issues.”
Fleming notes that many small business owners were nimble enough to navigate COVID lockdowns, but they have no control over the impact of supply chain issues.
“This is really important I think because it was kind of unexpected; we knew what we were up against last year in terms of shutting down and they (the businesses) made adjustments," said Fleming. "Small businesses can make adjustments a lot faster than big businesses and they can give better quality service and hands-on advice and help; so that’s how they compete. They just can’t compete on the supply chain issue.”
He adds that consumers can make a real impact by supporting small businesses, even if they don’t have exactly what you’re looking for.
Fleming suggests checking with local small businesses before you shop to see what kind of inventory they have.
He adds that while the federal government distributed over $1 trillion through SBA to help small businesses during the pandemic, those programs are winding down, making consumer support vital now.
Fleming says in 2020, shoppers nationwide spent $19.8 billion on Small Business Saturday.
The SBA can help consumers find small businesses in their area using the Shop Small Map here.
