Small Business Saturday: A Guide for Consumers, Businesses

The campaign behind the newest post-Thanksgiving national shopping day called Small Business Saturday garnered a big rush of online supporters this week.

The event’s Facebook page – which has almost 1 million fans as of noon on Nov. 24 – is No. 1 in weekly growth out of all pages on the social-networking website, according to AllFacebook.com.

And whether you’re a consumer or business, it’s not too late for you to join the movement. Here are some tips to prepare you for Nov. 27.

GUIDE FOR CONSUMERS

1) "Like" Small Business Saturday

Log onto Facebook, go to the "Small Business Saturday" page and then click "like." For every "like," event sponsor American Express donates $1 to Girls Inc., an organization that helps young women become entrepreneurs.

2) Tell others where you will shop

Let your Facebook friends and Twitter followers know where you will shop on Small Business Saturday. Go to the event page, click on the "Get Involved!" tab and fill out the blank space seen in the image below.

“This year, if you have the opportunity to shop on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, make it a point to visit local small businesses. It really can make an enormous difference for merchants trying to succeed,” urged New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg during a recent news conference .

3) Get $25 back on Nov. 27

As an incentive for consumers, American Express will give $25 statement credit to 100,000 cardmembers who register their card and use it to shop on Small Business Saturday. Go to the event page and click on the "Get Involved!" tab to enroll for the $25.

GUIDE FOR BUSINESSES

1) "Like" Small Business Saturday

“We asked small businesses what they wanted, and they all said, ‘More customers,’” Bloomberg said. “Small business owners are survivors. We can help them.”

Log onto Facebook, go to the "Small Business Saturday" page and then click "like." For every "like," event sponsor American Express donates $1 to Girls Inc., an organization that helps young women become entrepreneurs.

2) Promote your business

Go to the event page and click on the "For Your Biz" tab. There, you'll find online tools and offline materials to attract customers to your store on Nov. 27. Click on "For Your Website" to get HTML you can copy, paste and embed onto your business's website. Click on "For Your Store" to find advertisements you can print to post throughout your business or on your storefront.

3) Interact with consumers

Encourage Facebook friends and Twitter followers to shop at your business. Go to the event page, click on the "For Your Biz" tab and fill out the blank space seen in the image below.

4) Give feedback after the event

American Express Chairman Kenneth Chenault, whose company sponsors the daylong initiative, said he plans to talk to business owners after Nov. 27 to gauge the success of Small Business Saturday.

"We are committed to this effort for years to come," he said.

Let him and American Express know whether Small Business Saturday worked for you. Let BusinessNewsDaily know, too, by leaving a comment below or e-mailing Bhernandez@TechMediaNetwork.com.

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Reach BusinessNewsDaily staff writer Brian Anthony Hernandez at Bhernandez@TechMediaNetwork.com. Follow him on Twitter (@BAHjournalist) and become his friend on Facebook (BAH Journalist) to interact or stay updated on news about small businesses.