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Shop Local Made Easy: A Resource Roundup for Main Street Leaders & Small Business Owners
Oceanside, Calif., residents explore local shops while participating in Sip & Shop Downtown Oceanside on Small Business Saturday 2021. Credit: Road West Photography.
The countdown to Small Business Saturday® on November 26 has begun and for some communities the holiday shopping season is already underway. For Main Street leaders to small business owners alike, this time of year is full of possibilities, excitement, and good cheer. Even so, creating opportunities to welcome visitors downtown and into stores—in-person or online—can also be a source of stress and uncertainty. We're here to help!
Whether you are a seasoned American Express Small Business Saturday Neighborhood Champion or an entrepreneur joining this national movement for the first time, we’ve gathered a roundup of resources to support your “shop local” marketing efforts.
Resources for Main Street Leaders
From organizing Shop Small® activities during the winter holiday season to supporting your downtown merchants all year long, Main Street leaders play an important role in fostering economic vitality in their communities. Developing and implementing a holistic economic vitality plan for your Main Street takes commitment, time, and access to the latest resources, trends, and best practices.
To support Main Street leaders who are coordinating efforts to uplift existing businesses and nurture emerging entrepreneurs, we have gathered a selection of new resources and time-tested tools to provide you with inspiration and handy tips ready to share.
Get Ready for Small Business Saturday 2022! Small Business Saturday is just around the corner... and there’s still time for you to rally your merchants and invite your community to shop downtown on November 26. Check out this blog post for our top 5 tips to make your Small Business Saturday a success!
Quick, Easy and Data-Backed Tips to Share with your Businesses Right Now In October, we invited you to join the conversation about preparing for Small Business Saturday. We received excellent responses from the network, including insightful tips from Sheila Scarborough, Co-founder of Tourism Currents, that are tailor-made for helping small businesses get their digital houses in order. Consider sharing these quick, easy, and data-backed tips with your businesses right now:
A Claimed & Current Google Business Profile – Make sure your business’ profile on Google is claimed, completed, and up-to-date. Pay particular attention to ensuring that your operating hours, address, and contact information are current. Why is this important? This information directly feeds into Google Search and Google Maps, two tools that shoppers use to find and select places to shop, grab a bite, and enjoy. Need help? Here’s how to verify your business on Google.
Active & Accurate Social Media Profiles – Make sure your social media profiles include details about your location, hours of operation, what you offer, and the link to your official website. Where space allows, consider identifying your business as independent and locally owned. An active and accurate Facebook page is an invaluable tool, too. Although not all age groups actively use Facebook, many younger folks have accounts and will check a business’ Facebook page to see if it is open and to confirm information provided on other sites.
Entrepreneurial Ecosystems Guide Successful entrepreneurial ecosystems depend on cross-sector partnerships and collaboration. Main Street programs are in a prime position to convene key partners to assess gaps and opportunities within the local ecosystem. The annual holiday shopping season is a prime opportunity to put many entrepreneurial ecosystem principles to work. From hosting pop-up marketplaces to creating temporary (or permanent) people-centered spaces in your downtown, our entrepreneurial ecosystems resources are tailor-made for supporting your shop local initiatives.
The Future of Retail: Creative Approaches to Place-Based Entrepreneurship As trends suggest a long-term shift away from traditional brick-and-mortar retail, Main Streets will need to continue to find new ways to draw people downtown. This guide provides a roadmap on how to adapt to the evolving retail landscape by capitalizing on what Main Street has always done well: providing experiences, serving as incubators for entrepreneurs, offering socially conscious local products and services, and fostering social engagement through innovative programming and place. It also includes a retail audit tool you can use to ensure your downtown is positioned to thrive well into the future.
Resources for Small Businesses Owners
For many small business owners, Small Business Saturday is the biggest shopping day of the year. According to the results of the American Express 2021 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey, total reported projected spending among U.S. consumers who shopped at independent retailers and restaurants on Small Business Saturday reached an estimated $23.3 billion1, up 18% from $19.8 billion in 20202 and an increase from pre-pandemic spending in 2019 ($19.6 billion).
This year, even with high inflation rates and a possible recession on the horizon, the shopping season is poised to remain strong. While Small Business Saturday has had a resounding impact on small businesses since its launch in 2010, the challenge remains to keep shoppers shopping small throughout the holiday season and beyond. To support small business owners who are addressing this issue on the ground, we have put together a list of helpful tools, resources, and funding to encourage shopping local all year round.
It’s always a good time to get online and work on improving your digital presence – this is especially important before and during the holiday season! Our quick and easy Main Street Online Tool, developed in partnership with GoDaddy, guides you through this process by identifying the best solutions for your unique e-commerce needs and providing you with a roadmap to implement an effective online strategy.
Business Class by American Express provides tips, insights, and inspiration from business owners like you to help you navigate challenges and uncover new ways to grow, adapt, and thrive.
Presented by American Express and Main Street America, Inclusive Backing Grants are available for eligible small business owners from underrepresented communities. The next round of grants will open in early 2023.
With support from American Express, the National Trust for Historic Preservation offers the Backing Historic Small Restaurants Grant Program to aid restaurant recovery amid ongoing challenges related to the pandemic. The application period for 2022 has closed, but stay tuned for more information on the next application period coming soon.
Whether you’re a Main Street leader or a small business owner, we hope this list provides a few practical tips and resources that help make your Small Business Saturday and holiday shopping season even more successful. Make sure to stay tuned to our social media channels, Main Street News e-newsletter, and our blog for more shop local content coming soon.
1 The American Express 2021 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey was conducted by Teneo on behalf of American Express. The study is a nationally representative sample of 2,426 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 28, 2021. The survey has an overall margin of error of +/- 2.0%, 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.
2 The American Express 2020 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey was conducted by Teneo on behalf of American Express. The study is a nationally representative sample of 2,572 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 29, 2020. The survey has an overall margin of error of +/- 2.0%, 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.
Urban Impact Inc., harnesses strategic investments and collaborative efforts to foster a vibrant and sustainable future, from visionary adaptive reuse ventures to transformative development grants for small businesses and property owners in Birmingham, Alabama's historic 4th Avenue Black Business District.
In the last episode of season two of Main Street Business Insights, tune in as host Matt Wagner breaks down how to understand and synthesize local market data.
Sterling Main Street launched a brick and mortar retail incubator spaces. Executive Director Janna Groharing shares lessons they learned about organization, fundraising, and outreach.
In this episode of Main Street Business Insights, Matt sits down with Glen Ellis, owner of Sycamore Education, Dominion Catalyst Services, and Milady Coffeehouse in Fremont, Nebraska.
In this episode of Main Street Business Insights, Matt sits down with Jaime Courtney, President of Shoalwater Seafood, Derek King, Oyster Farm Director of Shoalwater Seafood, and Shane Thomas, Tribal Council Vice Chair of the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe.
Sarah Cole, owner of Abadir’s in Greensboro, Ala., was a 2023 Backing Small Businesses grantee. Abadir’s is a pop-up eatery specializing in seasonal and wholesome baked goods influenced by Egyptian traditions and flavors combined with inspiration from true Southern cuisine.
In this episode of the Main Street Business Insights podcast, Matt sits down with Casey Woods, Executive Director of Emporia Main Street in Emporia, Kansas.
In this episode of Main Street Business Insights, Matt sits down with Nicole Fleetwood and McKinzie Hodges, co-owners of Scratch Made Bakery in Amarillo, Texas.
Tylisya Gober, owner of Barbie Behavior Boutique in Oak Park, Mich., was a 2023 Backing Small Businesses grantee. Barbie Behavior is a women’s clothing boutique specializing in celebrity-inspired attire.
Tiffany Fixter, owner of Brewability in Englewood, Colorado, was a 2023 Backing Small Businesses grantee. Brewability is an inclusive brewery and pizzeria that employs adults with disabilities to brew craft beer.
We’re excited to announce that Main Street America will continue to offer virtual and on-demand small business training in 2024 through an evolved program, the Small Biz Digital Trainers program.
In this episode of Main Street Business Insights, Matt sits down with Jennifer Jones, co-owner of Good Times Coal Fired Pizza and Pub in Big Stone Gap, Virginia.
In this episode of Main Street Business Insights, Matt sits down with Tiffany Fixter, owner of Brewability, an inclusive craft brewery and pizzeria that employs adults with disabilities based in Englewood,
In this episode of Main Street Business Insights, Matt sits down with Bobby Boone, founder and Chief Strategist of &Access. Based in New Orleans, La., &Access creates data-driven and design-centric retail real estate solutions for historically excluded entrepreneurs and under-invested neighborhoods.
Tasha Sams, Manager of Education Programs, shares highlights of phase one of the Equitable Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (E3) in Rural Main Streets Program and the biggest takeaways from the workshop experiences.
In this video, learn more about the Williams’ family story, how the business is helping to revive downtown Helena, and the impact they’re having on a national level.
In this episode of Main Street Business Insights, Matt sits down with Derrick Braziel, owner of Pata Roja Taqueria and co-founder of MORTAR, in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Small Business Saturday is an important opportunity to show your support for local businesses. We asked business owners across the network what your support means to them.
Matt sits down with Jamie and Jerry Baker, co-owners and founders of Trendy Teachers, a teaching boutique and educational toy store located in downtown Rome, Georgia.
Middlesboro Main Street in Middlesboro, Ky., Puerto Rican Cultural Center in Chicago, Ill., and Sugar Creek Business Association in Charlotte, N.C., have each been awarded $100,000 through The Hartford Small Business Accelerator Grant Program in partnership with Main Street America.
Matt sat down with Anette Soto Landeros, co-owner of Casa Azul Coffee and President and CEO of the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Fort Worth, Texas.
Matt Wagner sat down with Danny Reynolds, president and owner of Stephenson's, an independently owned high-end fashion retailer in downtown Elkhart, Indiana.
Matt Wagner sat down with The Barbershop Conversation podcast team, co-hosts Kenneth Bentley and Davion Hampton along with executive producer Emory Green Jr., in Goldsboro, Florida.
This three-week live, online course will prepare local leaders to more effectively work with small business owners in their districts and create an environment that is supportive of entrepreneurship.
Meet the 2023 recipients for the Backing Small Businesses grant program, presented by American Express, to provide financial support to small business owners to address critical needs and make a positive impact in their local communities.
In partnership with Grow with Google, our digital coaches will work with businesses in their home states, with a focus on those that operate in small towns and rural communities.
Check out a deep dive into the results of our Spring 2023 Small Business Survey, plus insights to help inform the work of local leaders supporting entrepreneurs on Main Street.
Matt Wagner wrote an article for the OECD blog on how can small business owners can combine digital tools with the power of place to find sustainable success.
Inspired by a session at the 2022 Main Street Now Conference, Main Street Ottumwa has launched the Business Builder Academy, an entrepreneurship course to help aspiring business owners start their ventures.
We spoke to three women who were awarded Inclusive Backing grants to learn more about their passions, their businesses, and their advice for other women.
From social media scavenger hunts to downtown passports, the Main Street network has used countless innovative ways to encourage their communities to Shop Small®—and had plenty of fun doing it.
#EquityRising, Old Algiers Main Street Corporation's new job training program, seeks to combat rising cost of living by helping residents train for careers that will allow them to stay in their neighborhood.
We spoke to three Black business owners who were awarded Backing Small Businesses grants from Main Street America and American Express to better understand their challenges, successes, and the kinds of support that have helped them the most.
Main Street Skowhegan opened their new Skowhegan Center for Entrepreneurship, a downtown space for co-working, meeting, entrepreneurial support, trainings, and education.
Main Street Charles City organizes their annual 'WonderFall' event, a business decorating contest designed to have some fun with the autumnal season as well as provide a reminder of the importance of curb appeal in attracting the public’s attention.
Leverage NC, a partnership between North Carolina Main Street and the North Carolina League of Municipalities, hosted a four-part webinar series titled Better Community Planning & Economic Development led by Ed McMahon, Chair Emeritus of Main Street America and a leading national authority on land use policy and economic development.
Main Street Arkansas has brewed a new engaging way for tourists and residents alike to explore local Arkansas commercial districts: the Main Street Arkansas Coffee Trail.
We spoke with two Black entrepreneurs in UrbanMain commercial districts: L. May Creations in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago and The Four Way in south Memphis, Tennessee.
We heard from organizations across the nation about the incredible impact their markets have had on community engagement, entrepreneur and small business support, and keeping their district vibrant.
The global pandemic gave us all a glimpse of a further dispersed future – a time when you don’t sit in a classroom at school, watch movies in a theater, or even go to the grocery store. Where do Main Streets fit in that model?
Being the only person in the know can be fun, exhilarating even. Except when you are the one person out of 600+ in a room and you know bad news is coming.
Fritz the dog has made his way into the hearts of the residents of LaBelle, Florida, and helped our Main Street Community find a way to make what we do more noticeable.
Altavista On Track, the local Main Street organization, is working to cultivate and sustain local entrepreneurs with an educational business launch competition, Pop-Up Altavista 2.0.
The first rule of conducting business is “make it simple.” The easier it is to pay for merchandise, get entertainment or obtain a service, the more likely it is that people will take advantage of those options.
Main Street communities across the country are no stranger to seeking creative strategies to solve their most nagging issues – vacant buildings, marketing downtown, bolstering retail to name a few.
To understand the role that immigrant business owners play in Boston’s small business ecosystem, you need only to walk through any Boston Main Streets district.
A lot of signs are necessary to make a downtown work well, but not every community knows what a good sign system looks like, or how instrumental it can be to the creation of a successful downtown.
Main Street Iowa, a program of the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s Iowa Downtown Resource Center, created a one-of-a-kind three-year program to provide help for performance venues located in Main Street districts.