Local businesses in Colorado prepare for Small Business Saturday: "When you shop small, you keep the dollar local"
Founded by American Express in 2010 and officially co-sponsored by the Small Business Administration (SBA) since 2011, Small Business Saturday is known as a day to celebrate, praise and support the local economy and retailers.
At Stanley Marketplace in Aurora, there are more than 50 small, independent and locally-owned businesses, ranging from retail to food and drink and more.
Many of the owners are relying on this busy holiday shopping weekend and the four weeks ahead, as it's one of the busiest times of the year for them.
"We appreciate our customers shopping small and thinking of small businesses when they look to buy gifts this holiday season," said Anna Bangert, the owner of True Boutique inside the Marketplace.
Bangert and her business partner opened the boutique in July, so, it's their first holiday season being open and they're bringing in extra staff for the holidays.
"It's huge," said Bangert. "As you know, this is the time for retail and the time for the biggest sales of our year really."
Meanwhile, Brian McBroom is the owner of B Fresh Gear, which opened its brick-and-mortar location at the Marketplace in August. They're also hoping for a busy holiday shopping season, as it's a make-or-break for many businesses competing with big box stores and retailers.
"A lot of us rely on holiday shopping in order to kind of make the year profitable. So yeah, just seeing people come out, turn out and shop small, it really important," said McBroom.
McBroom said the early months of the new year are typically slow in retail, making Small Business Saturday that much more important. Plus it supports the local economy.
"When you shop small, you keep the dollar local," said McBroom. "I'm going to take that money and pay my staff who are all local residents, and we're going to take that money and buy other local gifts from other local businesses."
Small Business Saturday at the Stanley Marketplace also kicks off a month long of events happening every weekend, from eating, drinking, playing, or hanging out. You can also soak in the magic of the holiday season at Camp Christmas.