Shop Local on Saturday, Nov. 26
Did you know that for every $100 dollars you spend at one of our local merchants, $68 will stay in the community? What happens when you spend that same C-note at a national chain? Only $43 stays in Omaha. The remaining $57 goes to a faceless corporate headquarters somewhere far away in such exotic places as … New Jersey.
Saturday, Nov. 26 has been designated Small Business Saturday, a hyper-local alternative to the mad crush of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Over 50% of the working population (120 million people) work in one of the economy’s 28.8 million small businesses, defined by the Small Business Administration as those entities with fewer than 500 employees. Small business, you may recall, drove the recovery from the 2009 Recession. Between the middle of 2009 and the middle of 2013, 60% of the jobs created were from small businesses. This was not a new trend. Small businesses have generated over 65% of the net new jobs since 1995.
We are a proud founding member of the Omaha Local Independent Business Association (OLIBA). The organization, a member of the American Independent Business Alliance promotes the success of local businesses through education, networking, shared resources and group branding. We encourage a “hometown” quality of life by promoting community values of uniqueness and diversity, caring and sharing. Find out more online or Facebook.
Beyond keeping your hard-earned dollars circulating in the local economy, the 93 small businesses of OLIBA deliver a number of additional advantages:
Friendly Faces
We know you and you know us. Studies have shown that local businesses donate to community causes at more than twice the rate of chains.
Helping the Environment
Buying from a local business conserves energy and resources in the form of less fuel for transportation and less packaging. You buy products that you know are safe and well-made because local businesses stand behind them.
We Create Choices
Have you ever participated in a gold event where three other people show up wearing the exact same polo shirt as yours? We carefully curate a selection of merchandise and services based on what we know you like and want. Local businesses carry a wider array of unique products because we can buy for Omaha’s needs, not a one-size-fits-all approach.
Invested in Entrepreneurship
Creativity and entrepreneurship are the basis of the American economy. Nurturing local businesses ensures a strong community.
Invested in Our Community
Above all, we are your neighbors and we have a vested interest in knowing how to serve you. We’re passionate about what we do.
Claim Your Free Listing
Small businesses define a city like Omaha. Our small businesses play a major part in creating the Omaha brand, especially for visitors. Nobody ever said, “Hey, let’s be sure to check out the Omaha Old Navy the next time we are in town.” In small businesses, that sameness of an Old Navy, or any national outfit, for that matter, is counterbalanced by unique, hand-picked offerings from passionate, knowledgeable owners/staff who often know their customers on a first-name basis, sometimes for generations.
Visit the OLIBA website to learn more about membership or to claim or create your free listing, and check out the Directory of members to plan out your Small Business Saturday shopping itinerary.
