Town, Chamber gear up for Small Business Saturday
Farragut businesses are joining Farragut West Knox Chamber of Commerce in a nationwide campaign to promote small, local businesses.
They are jumping on the bandwagon of Small Business Saturday, which takes place Saturday, Nov. 26.
“Shop Small Saturday is promoting small businesses in our community, giving them encouragement and letting the public know the small business owners,” Bettye Sisco, FWKCC president and CEO, said. “We want the business owners to get the attention so they are able to grow their business.”
Small Business Saturday got its start in 2010, as a promotion created by American Express Company to support local businesses by shopping at them on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
Farragut Mayor Ralph McGill signed a proclamation for Small Business Saturday during a Farragut Board of Mayor and Alderman meeting Thursday, Nov. 10.
“Town of Farragut supports its small businesses and the contributions they make to our local economy and community,” Allison Myers, Town recorder, said as she read from the proclamation. “According to the Small Business Administration, there are currently 28.8 million small businesses in the United States.”
Sisco said the Chamber chose to be a part of Small Business Saturday and make sure it got as many of its business members involved.
One of those Farragut business participants is Embroidery Bout-ique by Designs For You in Kroger Marketplace.
“It’s an easy way to support the local community,” Debby Nohe, general manager of Embroidery Boutique by Designs For You, said.
While not normally open on Saturdays, Nohe said her business would be open for that day.
“What it shows is the business owners care enough about it to come in on their time off to utilize the time we are promoting them as a small business,” she said.
“I hope to gain some new customers we might not get because we usually are closed on the weekends,” Nohe said. “They actually can get a look at what we do here and they will come back.”
Sisco said she assumes all businesses are participating in Shop Small Saturday but she is directing her concentrations on Chamber members and giving them extra added benefits of the advertising.
“We just want everyone to get out and go shopping on Saturday, after Thanksgiving, support the local economy and see some stores people probably haven’t seen before,” she said. “You will most probably be most pleasantly surprised.”
