Florida SBDC Network Headquarters (Pensacola, Fla.) – The Florida SBDC Network, the state’s principal provider of small business assistance, is proud to support Small Business Saturday, a day dedicated to supporting small businesses and raising awareness of their impact on our state and nation's economy. Small Business Saturday will take place this Saturday, November 24.
Created by American Express in 2010, Small Business Saturday serves as the ceremonial kickoff to the holiday shopping season for small businesses across the United States. In 2017, an estimated 108 million consumers reported shopping or dining at local, independently-owned businesses on Small Business Saturday, according to the Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey.1 The most reported reason for consumers to shop and dine at small, independently-owned businesses on the day was to support their community (64 percent), according to the 2017 Small Business Saturday 50-State Survey.2
In alignment with its mission, the Florida SBDC Network recognizes the importance of supporting small businesses, the jobs they help create, and the culture they instill in local communities. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, Florida’s 2.5 million small businesses account for 99.8 percent of all businesses in the state and employ nearly half of the state’s private-sector workforce.
Established in 1976, the Florida SBDC Network provides consulting, training, and information to thousands of aspiring and existing small businesses each year. Headquartered at the University of West Florida, the Florida SBDC Network has more than 40 offices from Pensacola to Key West to serve the needs of the state’s small business community.
In support of Small Business Saturday, Florida SBDCS across the state are promoting the event through social media and other platforms to encourage small businesses’ participation and shoppers’ support.
“Small Business Saturday has become an important movement to support and celebrate the role and impact of small businesses on our state and nation’s economy,” said Michael W. Myhre, CEO of the Florida SBDC Network. “We encourage small businesses to participate in this important day and encourage shoppers to support small businesses this Saturday and throughout the holiday season.”
Small businesses and consumers can learn more about Small Business Saturday and how to get involved by visiting www.ShopSmall.com.
About Small Business Saturday:
November 24th is the ninth annual Small Business Saturday. Dedicated to supporting the diverse range of local businesses that help to create jobs, boost the economy, and enhance neighborhoods around the country. Small Business Saturday was created by American Express in 2010 in response to small business owners’ most pressing need: getting more customers. Learn more and connect with us on ShopSmall.com, instagram.com/shopsmall, facebook.com/SmallBusinessSaturday
1 The Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey was conducted by Teneo among a nationally representative sample of 2,160 U.S. adults 18 years of age or older. The sample was collected using an email invitation and an online survey. The study gathered self-reported data and does not reflect actual receipts or sales. It was conducted anonymously on November 26, 2017. The survey has an overall margin of error of +/- 2.1%, at the 95% level of confidence. Projections are based on the current U.S. Census estimates of the U.S. adult population, age 18 years and over. The survey was commissioned by American Express and the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB).
2 Morning Consult, on behalf of American Express and the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB), from November 25-26, conducted the 2017 Small Business Saturday 50-State Survey, among a national sample of 10,000 Americans aware of Small Business Saturday. The data cited are estimated based on self-reported data from this survey and do not reflect actual receipts or sales. Morning Consult used a statistical technique called multilevel regression and post stratification (MRP) to construct state-level estimates from the national survey data. The state level estimates were weighted to approximate a target state level sample based on age, gender, and education. The interviews were conducted online in English, results from the national survey have a margin of error of plus or minus 1 percentage point, and the state-level margins of error vary by state (typically 2 percentage points to 5 percentage points).
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