Small businesses are the heartbeat of our communities. They’re the corner stores that create jobs. The hardware stores that help build our economy. The drug stores and pharmacies that always have what we need when we need it. And, they’re the mom and pop shops whose very presence makes a neighborhood, our neighborhood.

The Shop Small Movement inspires people to do business with these smaller enterprises and to give back to the places that have given so much to their communities.

Created by American Express in 2010, Small Business Saturday is celebrated every year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. According to the 2015 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey, over 95 million consumers shopped at small businesses — including restaurants, retailers and more — on Small Business Saturday, marking an 8 percent increase from 2014. Additionally, total spending among U.S. consumers who were aware of Small Business Saturday reached $16.2 billion, an increase of 14 percent from $14.3 billion in 2014.

This year, Small Business Saturday is celebrated on Nov. 26th. Please join me in thanking our local businesses by SHOPPING SMALL. These establishments are an important element woven into the very fabric of our community and deserving of our recognition all year long.