West Hartford is the Place to Be on Small Business Saturday

Small Business Saturday is on Nov. 24 this year, two days after Thanksgiving. It is a day for everyone to support the small businesses that their community thrives on.

"Most all of  the businesses in [West Hartford] Center participate in Small Business Saturday. It's all about shopping local with independent merchants, of which we have many," said West Hartford Center Business Association President Rosie DeRobertis of DeRobertis Jewelers.

DeRobertis pointed out some statistics highlighting the financial benefit the local economy receives from shopping at independent businesses: "For every $100 spent in a locally owned small business, $68 returns to the community from taxes, payroll, and other expenditures. Spend $100 in a local chain store, that amount drops to $43, spend it online and nothing comes home," she said, citing the350project.net/home.html.

DeRobertis Jewelers is set to participate in Small Business Saturday, and DeRobertis said most of the other independent stores, including B K & Company, Center Framing, Kimberly Boutique, Silkworm, Lyn Evans, Fleet Feet, Ten Thousand Villages, just to name a few, are also signed up through the American Express Small Business Saturday page.

American Express founded the day in 2010 to help small businesses get exposure during the holiday season, when they might be otherwise overlooked. With retailers buzzing around the holidays, it is important to support local small businesses that rely on their neighbors in order to continue prospering and building the local economy in West Hartford.

In addition, DeRobertis said that this year there will be a "Yelp Small Biz Shop Crawl" taking place in West Hartford on Small Business Saturday. The list of participating businesses can be found here.

Last year, 100 million people nationwide participated in Small Business Saturday by shopping at locally owned stores to help boost the economy and their communities.

You can also “like” Small Business Saturday on Facebook by visiting www.facebook.com/shopsmall.

Everyone has locally owned businesses in their community, and shopping on Small Business Saturday is the perfect way to give back to the businesses you know and love in your community.