Small Business Saturday is held the day after Black Friday every year but it has grown into more than just a day to focus on small businesses. It has evolved into a movement designed to coax shoppers out of the big box stores and out of their online shopping carts into the small businesses that line the streets of their towns and that dot the countryside of rural communities every day of the year.

Supporting small businesses in your community is about more than where you buy your goods and services. It’s about supporting your neighbors and about what happens to your dollars paid at a small business as opposed to a big chain or an online store.

When you buy online, every penny you spend is leaving your community. You aren’t even paying local sales tax and that online vender most likely isn’t contributing anything to your community. They don’t belong to the Chamber of Commerce, they don’t sponsor a little league team or occupy a storefront that makes your town appealing to visitors. They don’t employ workers in your town or support your local schools.

When you buy at a big box store or a big chain, the story is very similar. While they have a presence in your town and pay local sales tax, any dollars that don’t have to be kept in the community will leave the community. So they will provide jobs and use services like electric and water. In some cases, they have budgets for supporting limited local community projects. However, once the bills are paid, the money is sent to a corporate office to become part of a shareholder report.

When you support a small business, the bulk of your dollars will stay right there in your community. Salaries, utilities, charitable contributions and any additional profit stay right there. Plus, many small business owners prioritize doing business and striking partnerships with other small businesses thus creating a chain of support! These businesses typically support local organizations and fundraisers and the owners are apt to donate when your child’s team needs uniforms or when the Christmas parade needs sponsors.

Shop at a small business and the owner will do a happy dance! Be the reason someone does a happy dance today!