by Kirby Lindsay, posted 19 November 2014
Saturday, November 29th, is Shop Small Business Saturday®, and the United States Small Business Administration (SBA,) and its partners, are actively promoting the importance of buying goods and gifts at independent shops and restaurants locally. On the 29th, SBA Regional Administrator Calvin Goings will be out, shopping small around Seattle – including in Fremont – and giving attention to the sole proprietors and entrepreneurs that create jobs, boost the economy and enrich our neighborhoods.
“Small business owners are integral to the rich fabric of our neighborhoods; they are the engines to our local economy.” Goings has written, “They have energy and a passion for what they do, and when we support small businesses, jobs are created and local communities preserve their unique culture and character.”
Support Us All
Small businesses in Fremont have always been our majority, but across the U.S., Goings said, “90% of businesses are small.” Corporate giants cast a long shadow, but small businesses give us substance. “They really are the drivers,” Goings explained, “half of all working Americans work at a small business. Two-thirds of all new net jobs over the last 15 years have been created by small businesses.”
“Studies show that the money spent at local small businesses goes right back into our local economy,” Goings also wrote. Small businesses can offer more locally produced goods than chain stores, so local micro-manufacturers (and crafts persons, artists, etc.) can get their products in front of discerning consumers. A local business owner is more likely to hire local contractors, bookkeepers, tax preparers, janitorial assistance, etc. A 2003 study done by the American Independent Business Alliance found that out of every $100 spent at a nationwide chain store, about $13 stayed in the local economy, while out of $100 spent at locally owned and operated businesses, about $45 stayed in the local economy.
Contribute A Rich Tapestry
“Small businesses were the drivers of the economic recovery,” Goings observed, “and they are key to the continued growth. When our small businesses do well, our communities do well.”
“Small businesses are really what makes Fremont FREMONT, and Ballard BALLARD,” Goings recently explained, “anything that we can do to drive that point home; that they support their communities.” While it may be easier for a large, corporate business to write a sizeable check for a local charity (providing the non-profit can find the right person to ask,) small businesses contribute in hundreds of smaller, individualized ways. Goings noted that, “different types of businesses support the community in different ways to contribute to that rich tapestry of the community. All businesses contribute differently. A specific business can’t give money,” he observed, “but they are the business that provides meeting space. It really depends on the type of business.”
In a recent Fremocentrist.com column, local small business owner James Schmidt (Pecado Bueno) acknowledged that he gives to local causes and charities by providing a free taco bar for their fundraisers. In November, local hair salon, OohLa’s, did their annual charity day – where stylists provide services, for free, while customers give donations to the cause. This year the stylists had chosen local non-profit Literacy Source. Every year Roxy’s Diner donates a dozen or more meals to the Fremont-based Moisture Festival, to feed the vaudevillians and crew. Roxy’s and PCC also donate food monthly to the Rotary Club of Fremont, where its members assemble sandwiches for the homeless, distributed by Operation Nightwatch. Schilling Cider House has started to host a weekly fundraiser for the Fremont Arts Council Solstice Parade called ‘Drinks & Drawing’. And on, and on, and on…
SBA All Year ‘Round
While they will promote and support Small Business Saturday®, the SBA actually celebrates small businesses all year ‘round – and gives a voice to our nation’s entrepreneurs. “To boil it down,” Goings explained, when asked about the SBA, “we focus on three areas:”
- Capitol – the SBA guarantees loans, given by banks or credit unions, to those seeking to start or expand their business; essentially they do bridge financing.
- Contracts – 23% of government contracts go to small businesses, and the SBA certifies and qualifies small businesses (those owned by women, minorities, and/or veterans) for these opportunities.
- Counseling – the SBA offers a wide-variety of free training to entrepreneurs, from a 30-minute web-based marketing lesson to a 9-year mentorship program. A calendar of the free trainings can be found on-line by entering a zip code in the SBA.gov website.
With the local office located in Belltown, the SBA provides a great resource – to established and potential entrepreneurs. “If you are thinking about or have a great idea,” Goings suggested, “get a fresh set of eyes and start with the SBA.”
Small Business Saturday® will be busy for Goings and his staff as they go out to small businesses all over Seattle, including Wish boutique in Fremont. Hopefully they will encounter a flurry of Fremonsters also out making the rounds.
Even if you do opt-out of holiday gift giving, consider stopping in at your favorite Fremont restaurant or shop and show your support of small business!
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