The LACDC, Chamber and MainStreet teams working hard behind the scenes to create a successful Small Business Saturday in Los Alamos. From left, Darla Ridilla, Patrick Sullivan, Melanie Pena, Rose Evans, Suzette Fox, Nancy Partridge, Ryn Herrmann, Nicole Kliebert and Annie Kuiper. Photo by Chris Clark/ladailypost.comBy CAROL A. CLARK
Los Alamos Daily Post
“To me, Small Business Saturday is really a celebration and we want the community to come out and celebrate,” –Pet Pangaea owner Cyndi Wells
Small Business Saturday is just three days away and local establishments are stocked and ready for shoppers. Many have discounts and special sales, prizes and treats and are counting on the community to stop by and visit.
“I’m just hoping that everybody has a good and sees what’s available in town,” Metzger’s General Manager David Jolly said. “Small Business Saturday also is the day we make money for the United Way to give back to the community.”
Metzger’s and many other local small businesses donate a portion of their sales from the day to non-profits; Metzger’s donates 10 percent United Way of Northern New Mexico for which 100 percent goes to help those in need.
Pet Pangaea owner Cyndi Wells is donating 10 percent of her gross sales for the day to Friends of the Shelter. Last year’s Small Business Saturday was her biggest day of the year in sales, she said.
“I hope that everybody stops by and has a chance to see our reset store and enjoy themselves,” Wells said.
Wells has a number of special events going on at her store in Central Park Square Saturday including a drawing at the end of the day in which one lucky shopper will receive a gift card in the amount they spent Saturday. She also will give a prize to the individual who correctly guesses the number of bones piled in a jar. The community is invited to check out the adoptees in her store such as turtles.
“We’re also going to have treats for humans, chocolates from Rose Chocolatiers and cupcakes,” Wells said.
First observed Nov. 27, 2010, Small Business Saturday is a counterpart to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which feature big box retail and e-commerce stores respectively. By contrast, Small Business Saturday encourages holiday shoppers to patronize brick and mortar businesses that are small and local. Small Business Saturday is a registered trademark of American Express Corporation.
In 2010, the holiday was conceived and promoted by American Express via a nationwide radio and television advertising campaign. That year Amex bought advertising inventory on Facebook, which it in turn gave to its small merchant account holders, and also gave rebates to new customers to promote the event.
American Express publicized the initiative using social media, advertising, and public relations. At least 41 local politicians and many small business groups in the United States issued proclamations concerning the campaign, which generated more than one million Facebook “likes” and nearly 30,000 tweets.
Los Alamos County Council issued a proclamation earlier this month declaring Nov. 28 as “Small Business Saturday” in Los Alamos County.
This is an opportunity for the Los Alamos Community to show small business owners in town that they are supported.
“To me, Small Business Saturday is really a celebration and we want the community to come out and celebrate,” Wells said.
There is a listing of Small Business Saturday participating businesses and a corresponding map to their location inside the special section of today’s print edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post, and it will be published online as well.
