99.3% of businesses in Montana are small businesses.
Small Business Saturday was originally conceived in 2010 by American Express as a way to boost recognition of small businesses after one of the busiest shopping days of the year. It was such a success that the company decided to continue the tradition. The popularity of the event spurred the United States Senate to make Small Business Saturday an official day. Now in its eighth year, Small Business Saturday is a concerted effort by local businesses to promote their products and foster a spirit of consumption within local communities.
The original impetus for the event was the recession that crippled many small businesses in the first years of the 21st century. As our economy slid backward, more and more small, local companies found it difficult to compete with the increasingly globalized big-box market. In the last eight years, however, customers have spent $85,000,000,000 on Small Business Saturdays across the country. That’s over a billion dollars for each day-long event.
As a small business in Montana, we are grateful to organizations like Montana West Economic Development, which gives opportunities to small businesses in the Flathead Valley, and Freedom Bank, who supports local business with their lending. We want to be part of a thriving downtown scene that offers a wide selection of goods. For our own part, we are grateful for every person who comes in and asks about our product. By standing up against the large forces that threaten to squash small business, we hope to be a part of a vibrant, luminous community (with great skin!)
Are you ready to come out and show your love? Check with your local chamber of commerce for a list of businesses that are participating. Don’t forget to tag your adventures with #shopsmallflathead and come post a selfie with us to get $10 off your purchase!