We have Black Friday, Cyber Monday and now, Small Business Saturday, thanks to a brilliant idea that American Express had last year. The 2nd annual Small Business Saturday was a day dedicated to supporting small businesses on one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year and promoted through social media and TV ads.
Did you know that small businesses generated 64% of new jobs created over the past 15 years? On November 26, American Express asked millions of people to Shop Smallsm at their favorite local stores and help fuel the economy. There was a $25 offer for American Express card holders and $100 of free Facebook advertising for Small Businesses to spur things along.
The Small Business Saturday Facebook page posted over 2.7M Likes on Facebook. And, according to the 2011 Small Business Saturday Consumer Spend Survey, 89 million people said they planned to Shop Small on Small Business Saturday.
To show my support for small businesses, I vowed (ok – to myself) that I would only shop small on November 26th — no department stores, chain stores or anywhere big. I recruited my daughter to join me and serve as photographer. Here are some highlights from my day:
To get in the spirit early in the week, I bought a case of chardonnay at a boutique winery, Harmony Cellars, in the town of Harmony (population, 18). 
On Saturday, I jumpstarted the day with a cup of brew at a local landmark coffee shop.
We bought a fun hat as a gift at the Black Cat Hats and Bag Shop. 
We re-fueled with a sandwich at Los Gatos Meats. 
We got festive and unearthed some great deals on Holiday decorations at Affordable Treasures, an old-fashioned dime store and family–owned business that has been in business for 25 years. 
Hopefully, shopping small did not end on November 26th but will inspire people to support the local businesses in their communities every day of the year. Caring proprietors, unique craftsmanship, service that goes the extra mile – I Like that – don’t you?