Frequently Asked Questions
-
General
-
For Consumers
-
For Small Businesses
-
Getting Involved
-
Browse topics:
-
Search:
What is Small Business Saturday®?
Small Business Saturday is a day for everyone — from the business owners who create jobs to the customers who buy locally — to support small businesses that invigorate the economy and keep communities thriving.
It began in 2010 when American Express founded Small Business Saturday to help small businesses get more exposure during one of the biggest shopping weekends of the year. Last year, over 100 million people came out to shop at independently-owned small businesses on the day. Now, in its third year, Small Business Saturday will be even bigger. American Express is offering free and easy-to-use tools to help small businesses get the most out of the day and tools for consumers to show their support.
General
-
What is Small Business Saturday®?
Small Business Saturday is a day for everyone — from the business owners who create jobs to the customers who buy locally — to support small businesses that invigorate the economy and keep communities thriving.
It began in 2010 when American Express founded Small Business Saturday to help small businesses get more exposure during one of the biggest shopping weekends of the year. Last year, over 100 million people came out to shop at independently-owned small businesses on the day. Now, in its third year, Small Business Saturday will be even bigger. American Express is offering free and easy-to-use tools to help small businesses get the most out of the day and tools for consumers to show their support.
-
When is Small Business Saturday?
Small Business Saturday is the Saturday after Thanksgiving and it sits between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This year, it falls on November 24th.
For Consumers
-
Why should I be a part of Small Business Saturday?
As a consumer, you are a key part in helping small businesses thrive. By shopping or dining at a small business this November 24th, you’re showing your support for all the small communities around you. This means you could be helping local entrepreneurs offer more jobs, which in turn invigorate the economy. Last year, over 100 million people came out to shop at independently-owned small businesses on the day. This year, go out and support your favorite small business and search for savings on unique merchandise while experiencing spectacular service – a cornerstone of many small businesses.
-
How can I participate in Small Business Saturday?
That’s up to you! You can go shopping or dining at a local small business, spread the word to others or share the news online and through social media. Anything you can do helps to give small businesses the support they need to keep creating jobs, powering the economy and invigorating communities. And that’s what makes Small Business Saturday a success. Visit the Rally My Community section for more ideas and tools to help spread the word.
For Small Businesses
-
Why should I be a part of Small Business Saturday?
As a small business owner, you’re automatically (or already) part of the day. Small Business Saturday is the day when the community comes together to show its support for you, the small business owner, and to give you exposure during the holiday shopping season.
The big retailers have Black Friday and the online retailers have Cyber Monday. And, for the past three years, small business owners have their kickoff to the holiday shopping season with Small Business Saturday.
Whether you are a brick-and-mortar retail store, restaurant or online-only small business, you can take advantage of the day. American Express is offering free tools and marketing materials to help you make the most of the day. Visit the “Promote My Business” section where you can download personalized in-store signage, social media and email templates to promote your business and the day. And then, get inspired by reading about how other small business owners made the most of their Small Business Saturday last year.
-
How can I participate in Small Business Saturday? Do I need to “sign up”?
No, you don’t have to “sign up” to be a part of Small Business Saturday. The day is for all to celebrate you and the contribution your business makes to the community and the economy. Thus, whether you are a brick-and-mortar retail store, restaurant or online-only business, just by being a small business owner, you’re already a part of it. As such, participation is as simple as being open for business this November 24th.
To help make the most of your participation, American Express is offering free resources for you to use (visit “Promote My Business” section for more details), including:
- Personalized in-store signage
- Downloadable email and social media templates
- Success stories from small business owners who took advantage of last year’s Small Business Saturday
In addition, qualifying small businesses can create free personalized ads that link to their website or their Facebook page. American Express will run these ads in a geo-targeted ad buy at no cost to the businesses. Ads are available while supplies of inventory last. Terms, conditions and eligibility restrictions apply.
Be sure to spread the word to other small business owners, so they can take advantage of Small Business Saturday too! Visit “Rally My Community” section for helpful tools!
Also, feel free to plan a special event at your business or create an exclusive offer for your customers who visit you on the day.
-
How do I find out if my business qualifies for the free personalized ads?
There are certain eligibility restrictions for small businesses. To find out if your business qualifies, you should review the Terms and Conditions.
-
What free resources are available for small businesses? Do I have to use all of them?
American Express is offering free resources for you to use (visit “Promote My Business” section for more details), including:
- The marketing kit, designed to help you reach more customers and support the movement, will include personalized signage and email copy, Shop Small logos, talking points, and social media copy for Twitter and Facebook. Signage can be downloaded for immediate use, received by email as a zip file or sent to a local FedEx Office for printing.
- Personalized online ads, designed to get your business more exposure via geo-targeted online advertising that drives to your website or Facebook page. Ads are available while supplies of inventory last. Terms, conditions and eligibility restrictions apply.
- Great ideas from small business owners last year who made the most of their Small Business Saturday.
You are free to use any, all, or none of the resources provided.
-
What if my business is listed on the Map incorrectly?
Location information appearing on the Shop Small® Map may contain errors resulting from technological or typographical issues, including problems with information provided by third-parties. If you receive American Express® Card services directly from American Express and your address or business name is incorrect or doesn’t appear as you’d like, please visit My Merchant Account/Online Merchant Services (OMS) to edit your “Doing Business As” (DBA) name or business address. Updates will typically be reflected on the Map within 10 business days. Alternatively, you can submit your update at www.americanexpress.com/mapservicing by November 7, 2012 and a representative will contact you to confirm the change.
If you receive American Express® Card services through a different credit card processor, please contact your processor to update your information by November 15th, 2012.
-
What if I want to opt out?
In order to remove your business from the Shop Small® Map and opt out of Small Business Saturday® and future Shop Small® promotions, please call us toll-free at 1-800-235-8916. To be removed from the Map prior to this Small Business Saturday, you must call no later than November 14th, 2012.
Supporting Partners
Advocacy Groups
- AARP
- Accion East Coast and Online
- Aiken Chamber of Commerce
- American Booksellers Association
- American Business Women Association
- American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA)
- American Specialty Toy Retailing Association
- American Visions Contemporary Crafts
- Arizona Small Business Association
- ASBDC
- Asian Women in Business
- Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO)
- Association for Women in Communications
- Association of Women's Business Centers
- Astra Women's Business Alliance
- ATHENA International Inc
- Better Business Bureaus
- Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce
- Black Business Association
- Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce
- Business and Professional Women's Foundation
- BusinessOwnerSpace
- CAMEO - California Association for Micro Enterprise Opportunity
- Canton Area Chamber of Commerce
- Center for Rural Entrepreneurship
- CharlotteBusiness
Resources.com - Church Street Marketplace
- City of Charlotte
- City of Chula Vista
- City of Orlando Main Street Program
- City of Peoria Illinois
- City of Redmond
- City of San Jose
- City of Scottsdale
- City of Washington, IL
- City of Waukesha Chamber of Commerce
- Coachella Valley Women's Business Center
- Coastal Enterprises Inc.
- Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education
- Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce
- Count Me In for Women's Economic Independence
- CPCC Institute for Entrepreneurship
- Culver City Chamber of Commerce
- Culver City Downtown Business Association
- DC Chamber of Commerce
- Deanwood Heights Main Streets
- Detroit Regional Chamber
- Downtown Boulder Business Improvement District
- East Orlando Chamber of Commerce
- East Peoria Chamber of Commerce
- Eastern Arizona College Small Business Development Center
- Echelon Circles
- Enterprising Women
- Erase Poverty.org
- EWF International
- eWomenNetwork
- Florida Small Business Development Center Network
- Foster City Chamber of Commerce
- Georgetown Business Improvement District
- Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council (GMSDC)
- Global EXEC Women
- Grand Avenue Business Association
- Greater Palm Bay Chamber of Commerce
- Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
- Hayes Valley Merchants Association
- Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation
- Helms Bakery District
- Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Marin
- Historic South End
- Hyde Park Main Streets
- Illinois River Road National Scenic Byway
- Independent We Stand
- Inland Empire Women's Business Center
- La Cocina
- Lacon Chamber of Commerce
- Lacon Economic Development Committee
- Laredo Chamber of Commerce
- Latino Economic Development Center
- Little PINK Book
- Manayunk.com
- Manhattan Chamber of Commerce
- Manta
- Maricopa SBDC
- McLean County Chamber of Commerce
- Melbourne Regional Chamber of East Central Florida
- Mentor Area Chamber of Commerce
- Metro Centre Shopping Center - Peoria, IL
- Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce
- Mills 50
- Montrose Downtown Development Authority
- Morton Chamber of Commerce
- MUMC - Merchants of Upper Market & Castro
- NACGBE
- NACS, The Association for Convenience & Fuel Retailing
- NAPL
- NAQP
- National Association for Female Executives
- National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE)
- National Christmas Tree Association
- National Defense Industry Association
- National Foundation for Women Legislators
- National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
- National Ice Cream Retailers Association
- National Newspaper Association
- National Restaurant Association
- National Small Business Association
- National Women Business Owners Corporation (NWBOC)
- NAWBO - National Association of Women Business Owners
- NAWBO Central Illinois
- NAWBO Greater DC
- NAWRB
- New Jersey Association of Women Business Owners, NJAWBO
- NICHE magazine
- North Park Main Street
- Northern California Independent Booksellers Association
- NY Business Latino
- Ohio River Valley Women's Business Council - ORV~WBC
- Old Bridge Economic Development Corporation
- Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce & Industry
- Oviedo - Winter Springs Regional Chamber of Commerce
- Pacific Community Ventures
- PaperChain
- Park Avenue Merchants Association
- Path Forward Center
- Pekin (IL) Area Chamber of Commerce
- Pekin Main Street
- Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce
- Peoria County Government, IL
- Peoria Heights Chamber of Commerce
- Princeton Area Chamber of Commerce
- Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center
- Retail Merchants Association, Richmond, Virginia
- Roslindale Village Main Street
- Rye Chamber of Commerce
- Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream
- San Francisco Locally Owned Merchants Alliance
- San Francisco Office of Small Business
- San Francisco Small Business Network
- Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce
- SBDC at Indian River State College
- SBDC at Florida Gulf Coast University
- SCORE
- Seton Hill University E-Magnify
- Shelton Mason County Chamber of Commerce
- ShopMainStreets.com
- ShopSanJose.com
- Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council
- Small Business Development Center at Gulf Coast State College
- Small Business Development Center at the University of South Florida
- Small Business Development Center at University of North Florida (in the Heart of Florida)
- Small Business Development Center Miami Dade
- Small Business Majority
- Smallbiztechnology.com
- Society of American Florists
- Southwest Association of Community Publications
- St. Mark's Area Main Street
- Sundance Square
- Tazewell County
- Texas Community Newspaper Association
- The Center for Women & Enterprise
- The Economic Development Council for Central Illinois
- The Entrepreneurial Center
- The Greater Phoenix Black Chamber of Commerce
- The Heartland Partnership
- The Latino Coalition
- Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
- U.S. Black Chamber, Inc.
- Union Street Association
- United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship
- Upham's Corner Main Street
- Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone
- Valley Economic Development Center - VEDC
- Village Alliance
- Washington Chamber of Commerce - Illinois
- Washington Gateway Main Street
- Washington Heights and Inwood Development Corporation
- Wealthy Sistas Media Group
- Winter Park Chamber of Commerce
- Wisconsin Community Papers
- Women Construction Owners & Executives USA
- Women for Economic and Leadership Development
- Women Impacting Public Policy
- Women Impacting Real Estate Solutions
- Women in Default Services
- Women in Ecommerce
- Women Presidents' Organization
- Women's Brooklyn Enterprise Center
- Women's Business and Training Center
- Women's Business Center at Florida Tech
- Women's Business Council-Southwest
- Women's Business Development Center
- Women's Business Development Center - Chicago
- Women's Business Development Council (WBDC)
- Women's Business Development Council of Florida
- Women's Business Enterprise Alliance (WBEA)
- Women's Business Enterprise Council South
- Women's Business Enterprise National Council
- Women's Exchange, Inc.
- Women's Initiative for Self Employment
- Women's Leadership Exchange
Public Officials
- Representative Allen West, Florida
- Representative Cedric Richmond, Louisiana
- Representative David Cicilline, Rhode Island
- Representative David Rivera, Florida
- Representative Jamie Herrera Beutler, Washington
- Representative Jeffrey Landry, Louisiana
- Representative Joe Walsh, Illinois
- Representative Judy Chu, California
- Representative Kurt Schrader, Oregon
- Representative Mario Diaz-Balart, Florida
- Representative Mark Critz, Pennsylvania
- Representative Mick Mulvaney, South Carolina
- Representative Renee Ellmers, North Carolina
- Representative Richard Hanna, New York
- Representative Robert Schilling, Illinois
- Representative Sam Graves, Missouri
- Representative Scott Tipton, Colorado
- Representative Steve King, Iowa
- Senator Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota
- Senator Barbara Boxer, California
- Senator Benjamin Cardin, Maryland
- Senator Carl Levin, Michigan
- Senator Christopher Coons, Delaware
- Senator Dianne Feinstein, California
- Senator Frank Lautenberg, New Jersey
- Senator James Risch, Idaho
- Senator Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire
- Senator Jeff Merkley, Oregon
- Senator Joe Manchin III, West Virginia
- Senator John Barrasso, Wyoming
- Senator John Boozman, Arkansas
- Senator John Hoeven, North Dakota
- Senator John Kerry, Massachusetts
- Senator John Rockefeller IV, West Virginia
- Senator John Thune, South Dakota
- Senator Johnny Isakson, Georgia
- Senator Jon Tester, Montana
- Senator Joseph Lieberman, Connecticut
- Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Texas
- Senator Kay Hagan, North Carolina
- Senator Kelly Ayotte, New Hampshire
- Senator Lamar Alexander, Tennessee
- Senator Lisa Murkowski, Alaska
- Senator Marco Rubio, Florida
- Senator Maria Cantwell, Washington
- Senator Mark Begich, Alaska
- Senator Mark Pryor, Arkansas
- Senator Mark Steven Kirk, Illinois
- Senator Mark Warner, Virginia
- Senator Mary Landrieu, Louisiana
- Senator Max Baucus, Montana
- Senator Michael Bennet, Colorado
- Senator Michael Enzi, Wyoming
- Senator Olympia Snowe, Maine
- Senator Pat Roberts, Kansas
- Senator Patty Murray, Washington
- Senator Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut
- Senator Richard Durbin, Illinois
- Senator Rob Portman, Ohio
- Senator Robert Menendez, New Jersey
- Senator Saxby Chambliss, Georgia
- Senator Scott Brown, Massachusetts
- Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island
- Senator Tom Udall, New Mexico
Corporate Supporters
- 1-800-Flowers
- ACE Hardware
- ACUVUE® Brand Contact Lenses
- AOL
- Business Beware
- Central Parking
- Choose Chicago
- Constant Contact, Inc.
- CulturalCapital.com
- Delta Air Lines
- Destination DC
- Digitas
- Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp.
- Epson America, Inc.
- FTD
- Garmin
- General Assembly
- Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Greater Palm Springs CVB
- Hertz
- Hilton HHonors™
- Hyatt
- JiWire, Inc
- Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board
- Lucky Magazine
- Marriott International
- mogulfish
- NeweggBusiness
- Northstar Travel Media
- NYC & Company
- Plantronics®
- PREIT Malls
- ReachLocal, Inc.
- Regus
- Representative Travel Network
- Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington
- Rocket Lawyer
- San Francisco Travel
- Shops at Legacy
- SocialCode
Want to become a Small Business Saturday Supporter?
Email us >
Subscribe
Stay up-to-date on the Shop Small® movement and
Small Business Saturday®.
Follow us on
closeSmall Business Saturday | Nov 24
Between Black Friday and Cyber Monday is a day
dedicated to supporting small businesses nationwide. Last year,
over one hundred million people* came together to Shop Small® in
their communities on Small Business Saturday®.
Enrollment for the American Express $25 Statement Credit Cardmember Offer opens November 18.
Enrollment is limited so come back November 18th to enroll. See Offer Terms for full details.
2,857,645
*Based on 2011 Small Business Saturday Consumer Survey by Echo Research, and commissioned by American Express
Find small businesses
Only qualifying American Express Card accepting small merchants appear on the map.*
*Important Note: Merchants that began to accept American Express after October 15, 2012 will not appear on the map and will not be eligible for the American Express $25 Statement Credit Cardmember Offer. Small business locations that accept American Express through Square also qualify for the $25 statement credit offer but may not appear on this map. For information about small business locations that use Square, please visit the Square Directory at https://squareup.com/directory/?cmpId=amex or from your mobile phone using the Square Wallet app. Please note that business location information provided on this map and Square Directory may contain inaccuracies or errors, including as a result of information provided by third parties. Transactions with political campaigns and political action committees are not eligible, regardless of whether they appear on the Shop Small® Map or in the Square Directory.
Attract More Customers On Small Business Saturday
Come November 24th, consumers will be out shopping at small businesses in force. As a small business owner, you can take advantage of the day with the free tools below.
-
Qualifying small businesses can get free online advertising*
Personalize an ad and get
free online advertising
geo-targeted in your area. -
Download free Marketing Materials
to support your business Market yourself this
Small Business Saturday
with free signage, banners
and other promotional
materials. -
See small business
success stories Get inspired by what others
did last year to make their
Small Business Saturday a
success.
Help make a big difference for small business
Whether you’re a small business owner or customer, want to encourage your friends to Shop Small or help rally an entire town; everyone can help spread the word about Small Business Saturday.
The more people and the more businesses that get involved, the bigger and more beneficial the day will be.
* Free Ads available through November 19, 2012 or while supplies last. Media Inventory is limited. For the purpose of this Program, qualifying small businesses include small, locally-owned storefront and online businesses with $10 million in annual revenue or less. Businesses in the following industries are excluded: government agencies, charities, non-profits, trade associations, shopping property management firms, political, religious and educational organizations. Small businesses that are part of a franchise brand with more than 100 stores are excluded. Additionally, if a franchise brand has more than 20 corporate-owned units, then the entire brand is excluded. Small businesses that promote any of the following are not eligible for the Program: pharmaceuticals, drugs, politics, pornography or sexual aids, diet aids, gambling, liquor, tobacco, firearms/weapons, or any sensitive topic with respect to current events. See Terms of Participation.