Small Business Saturday kickoff activities planned

PARMA, Ohio -- This is the third consecutive year that Parma small-business owners can expect a window sign announcing that Small Business Saturday is coming up and that Parma encourages you to “Shop Small Here.”

This year, the big day is Nov. 28.

Parma Mayor Tim DeGeeter and Parma City Council have embraced the nation-wide designation of Small Business Saturday and will continue this year to educate residents about the Saturday after Thanksgiving - the day after Black Friday – and to encourage them to participate. 

Small Business Saturday was founded by American Express in 2010 and is celebrated every year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.  The idea is that, even if rabid consumers insist on shopping on Black Friday, they can also support their local economy on Small Business Saturday.

“I think we’ve done a terrific job of raising awareness about the day itself and about what Parma has to offer local shoppers,” Mayor DeGeeter said. “This is a project that can, at very little cost to us, have a very big impact on our local small business economy. It’s just a matter of educating our resident consumers about what is right here around them. Parma is the perfect place to shop small – we have a lot of different kinds of small businesses … everything from European bakeries to comic book stores.” 

The official kick-off begins at the Nov. 2 Parma City Council meeting, during which Council members will receive signs that they can begin distributing. Dave Nedrich, President of the Parma Area Chamber of Commerce, will be on hand as well.

Leading up to Nov. 28, the Shop Small Here posters will be distributed by city council members to independent businesses in their ward. A Parma Small Business Saturday Facebook page, which will highlight participating businesses, will be added this year. 

Said Nedrich, “This is a wonderful opportunity to show off what Parma offers in the way of small business. The Parma Area Chamber of Commerce is happy to again participate in Small Business Saturday activities. We are looking forward to shopping small.” 

-30-