This column is sponsored by BizLaunch, a division of Arlington Economic Development.
By Tara Palacios
Act local. Think local. Let’s Celebrate.
Small Business Saturday is almost upon us! The day after Black Friday is the day to formally celebrate the local businesses where we love to shop. Shopping local keeps our community unique, and what better way to support our independently-owned businesses than by patronizing them on November 24.
According to American Express, in 2017 an estimated 108 million consumers across the United States reported shopping or dining at independently-owned business on Small Business Saturday. These consumers generated $12 billion in reported spending.
Join BizLaunch online for an interactive pre-celebration of shopping local on Monday, November 19. We will visit area retail businesses throughout the day and promote our local shops in Arlington, VA on both Twitter and Facebook. Follow our hashtags as we visit local retail businesses to help you figure out which local shops you should visit on Small Business Saturday.
We invite you to tag your favorite local small business all day. Businesses can also join in on the fun if they’d like to tag themselves. Let’s celebrate our local businesses. Join us on Twitter by following #ShopSmall, #ArlingtonVA, #SmallBizSat and #ShopArlington.
Another great pre-celebratory event to support our local businesses is the, “Shop Local Walking Tour,” of Crystal City and Pentagon City on Saturday, November 17. BizLaunch is partnering with WalkArlington, Netwalking and the Crystal City BID to host the event.
Enjoy the area’s walkability, hear stories from local business owners and get a jump start on shopping local for the holidays. The event is free but registration is required. More information can be found here.
We hope you plan to #ShopLocal and #ShopArlington this Small Business Saturday!