Today is Small Business Saturday in the U.S. The nation?s 17 million small, non-farm businesses constitute 99.7 per cent of all employers, employ 52 percent of private workforce, and account for 51 percent of the nation?s sales. Small business-dominated industries provided 11.1 million new jobs between 1994 and 1998, virtually all of the new jobs created during that time period.

Seventy cents of every dollar spent in a locally owned business stays local. Twenty cent of money spent with national chain stores stays local. Nonprofits receive 350% more support from local business owners than non-local business owners.

A study done in 2008 in Grand Rapids, MI, concluded that if everyone in a community made a 10% shift to purchasing from independent business rather than non-local chain stores, it would lead to 1,600 new jobs and $137 million economic impact to the area effectively pulling them out of their economic depression.

Shopping at a local independently owned store creates a positive effect felt by everyone. Show your support today.