Blog

American Express launches ‘Small Business Saturday’ in support of local business

To support local business, help boost the economy and preserve neighborhood shopping around the country, Saturday, Nov. 27 has been designated as Small Business Saturday.

Spearheaded by American Express OPEN, the small business division of American Express, Small Business Saturday is a national movement to drive shoppers to local merchants across the U.S. It is positioned between what have become two key consumer shopping days kicking off the holiday shopping season: Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Joining American Express OPEN in declaring the Saturday after Thanksgiving as Small Business Saturday are more than a dozen advocacy, public and private organizations including: The 3/50 Project, Business Matchmaking, Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau, Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence, Destination DC, eWomenNetwork, Facebook, Girls Inc., Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau, LA INC. The Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau, National Trust for Historic Preservation, National Association of Women Business Owners, NYC & Company, San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau, SCORE: Counselors to Americas Small Businesses, Women’s Leadership Exchange, Women Impacting Public Policy, Women President’s Organization and Yelp!

“Small business is the heartbeat of local communities and the engine of the US economy,” said Kenneth I. Chenault, chairman and CEO, American Express. “It is also among the sectors hardest hit by the recession. By spreading the word about Small Business Saturday, we can help raise awareness about the critical role small businesses play in cities and towns across the country at a time when they need support the most.”

To boost support for Small Business Saturday, social media will be a major factor in raising awareness. American Express is launching campaigns on Facebook and Twitter driving consumers and business owners to facebook.com/smallbusinesssaturday where they can participate in many ways. Among the incentives:

American Express is giving a $25 statement credit to the first 100,000 Cardmembers who register their card and use it to shop on Small Business Saturday at any locally-owned, independent small businesses.

The first 10,000 business owners who sign up at www.facebook.com/smallbusinesssaturday will receive $100 of free Facebook advertising.

Small business owners can also download online promotional materials and use a number of social media tools to promote their businesses on the inaugural Small Business Saturday.

For every person who ‘likes’ Small Business Saturday on Facebook, American Express is donating $1.

For more information on the movement, visit www.smallbusinesssaturday.com.

Want to Learn More?