Make sure to shop local this holiday season

This week, after all the turkey, stuffing and pie have been gobbled up, many people’s thoughts will shift toward holiday shopping and Black Friday sales. As you prepare to do your shopping we encourage you to shop locally, and this weekend on Small Business Saturday, support the many small businesses that are found around Sterling.

American Express founded Small Business Saturday in 2010, encouraging people to Shop Small and show love for their favorite local places on the busiest shopping weekend of the year. This year a plethora of businesses in Sterling are participating in Small Business Saturday. You can find participating businesses by visiting, https://amex. co/2qpgci9.

Small businesses like those in Colorado help make communities thrive. According to data from the Office of Advocacy’s 2022 Small Business Profiles, which are annual analyses of each state’s small business activities, there are 691,230 small businesses in operation across Colorado, which make up 99.5% of all the businesses.

From local restaurants to the jewelry store down the street to a favorite gift shop, small businesses have created major impacts across all communities. In fact, according to the OA’S Small Business Profiles, Colorado has 1.2 million small business employees, meaning 47.6% of of all employees in the state work for small businesses.

Small businesses help ensure local economies stay strong and vibrant. For every $1 spent at small businesses, 67 cents stays in the community, and businesses often stretch that dollar by banking locally, using local accountants, attorneys and investors and other professionals, buying as often as possible from local supporters and supporting their fellow businesses.

The effect of shopping locally stretches farther than one might realize. When residents don’t support local businesses that business can’t afford to stay open and it is often difficult to replace it, because when future store owners look to open a business in Sterling the first thing they look at is how successful similar or previous businesses are.

So, on the big day, invite your family and friends to Shop Small and show love for their favorite places. Because when small businesses succeed we all do