#SmallBizSat 2012

Started in 2010, Small Business Saturday (#SmallBizSat) encourages holiday shoppers to patronize local, independently-owned U.S. businesses on the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend, after Black Friday (#BlackFriday) and before CyberMonday (#CyberMonday). In 2010, social media was a major driving force of the grassroots effort: nearly 33,000 Tweets were sent about the first Small Business Saturday. 

Today, #SmallBizSat is a nationally recognized shopping day and Shop Small (#shopsmall) has become a widespread movement in support of the local businesses that create jobs, boost the economy and preserve neighborhoods around the country.

According to the Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey by the National Federation of Independent Business (@NFIB) and American Express (@AmericanExpress),  U.S. consumers spent $5.5 billion “shopping small” this past Saturday. More than 213,000 Tweets were sent this November related to Small Business Saturday, according to @AmericanExpress.

Across the country, small businesses turned to Twitter to promote offers and content they created specifically for the day, including Hampton Coffee (@HamptonCoffee) in Water Mill and West Hampton, New York; Pet Relocation (@PetRelocation) in Austin, Texas; and KOi Fusion (@KOiFusionPDX) in Portland, Oregon.