Giving Thanks
Posted by Amy Clickner on November 18, 2011
The true purpose of the Thanksgiving holiday is to reflect upon the things we are grateful for in life. We all have our own things to be thankful for as individuals, such as our families and our friends, but what are the things we are grateful for as a community?
As the CEO of the Lake Superior Community Partnership, I am thankful for the characteristics of this area that we use in economic and community development to draw people here. I am thankful for the safe neighborhoods, cities and townships of Marquette County. I can’t think of too many places in America where locking your car doors isn’t mandatory, or where you can take a midnight stroll with little worry.
Along the same lines is our low risk of natural disaster. Don’t get me wrong, we certainly have our share of snow storms. However, I don’t think we will generate a hurricane or flood anytime soon (right Karl?).
While our community’s safety is a huge selling point, so are many other great aspects like our excellent schools and strong healthcare. But the greatest aspect of our community is the hard working, friendly people who have built a culture so unique it is an amenity in itself.
Part of Marquette County’s distinctiveness can be attributed to the many small businesses that make up our economy. While the day after Thanksgiving, or “Black Friday,” is a big boost to large retailers, and Cyber Monday is a lift for web-based businesses, Small Business Saturday is a day dedicated to supporting small businesses on one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year.
The second annual Small Business Saturday is this Saturday, November 26th, and movement creator American Express OPEN, along with several other advocacy groups, are encouraging millions of Americans to “Shop Small” at their favorite local stores and help fuel the economy.
According to the SBA, small businesses have accounted for 60-80% of new jobs in the United States over the past ten years. According to The 3/50 Project, 68 cents of every dollar spent with an independent retailer returns to that community, which in turn helps to provide funding for schools, roads, and other municipal services. This is why supporting local retailers is extremely important, especially in an area where small business makes up the majority of our commerce.
For this second annual event, FedEx has teamed with American Express to boost the U.S. small business economy by giving away 30,000 Shop-Small gift cards, each worth $25 to customers through a Facebook promotion. FedEx is also helping to promote the event as the official print sponsor and allowing for independent retailers and small businesses to access Small Business Saturday posters that can be printed via the FedEx Office Print Online application at a 20 percent discount. To download promotional materials, visit http://facebook.com/shopsmall. For more information and other social tools to promote your business, visit www.smallbusinesssaturday.com.
This holiday weekend, I encourage you to be mindful of what we as a community can be thankful for, and to give support to the small businesses that support our community! For more information on the Lake Superior Community Partnership call 226-9658 or visit www.marquette.org.
