Gov. Beshear declares ‘Small Business Saturday’ in Kentucky | News

KY (FOX19) - In an effort to encourage Kentuckians to shop locally and support Kentucky business, Governor Steve Beshear today declared Saturday, November 26, 2011 as “Small Business Saturday” in Kentucky.

Small Business Saturday, which falls between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, supports the national movement to drive consumers to shop at local and independently owned businesses during the heaviest shopping weekend of the year.

 “Small businesses create thousands of jobs for Kentuckians and are the heart of our Commonwealth’s economy,” Gov. Beshear said. “I strongly encourage everyone this upcoming weekend to help boost local economies and purchase unique Kentucky gifts at independently owned shops and businesses.”

Small businesses are critical to the nation’s overall economy as well. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, there were nearly 28 million small businesses in the United States last year. Over the past 2 decades, they have generated 65 percent of net new jobs.

If independents regained their 1990 market shares, entrepreneurs could create 200,000 new small businesses, generate nearly $300 billion in revenues in the retail and restaurant sectors, and employ more than 1.6 million American workers, according to Civic Economics.  Their importance to local communities extends even further.

In 2010, 130 small business advocate groups, public and private organizations and elected officials joined founding sponsor American Express in declaring the Saturday after Thanksgiving, Small Business Saturday.

Given the importance of Small Business Saturday and its support for local independently owned businesses, Women Impacting Public Policy is expanding the effort by establishing the Small Business Saturday Coalition. The coalition is responsible for building upon the national “Shop Small” movement to engage small business owners and consumers across the nation to participate in Small Business Saturday on November 26.

For more information, please visit http://smallbusinesssaturday.com/.