The day after Black Friday is “Small Business Saturday,” a day set aside to support hometown shops and restaurants in Tahlequah, keep tax dollars in the community, and provide employment for residents.
Officially, the day began in 2010, introduced by American Express to show support and highlight local small businesses. This was to help offset the overshadowing from larger and chain companies.
The American Express website states that “Shop Small” has grown to be a year-round movement that supports small businesses across the globe and has helped generate over $200 billion in reported sales.
“There are so many community and personal benefits when it comes to shopping local in your area,” states the Tahlequah Area Chamber of Commerce Facebook page. “Help show love to your town of Tahlequah by giving some support to the business within.”
Business creates business, said Kimberly Butler, owner of Kimberly’s Prom and Bridal Boutique. Butler said she has gained a lot from being in business in Tahlequah for 40 years, and she works closely with fellow store owners around her shop on Muskogee Avenue.
“This little section of town right here: Junie’s Closet, Meigs Jewelry, Felts Shoes, and Vivid Salon and Boutique – we support each other,” Butler said. “We talk amongst ourselves and try to meet with each other sporadically to try and keep this downtown flourishing.”
Butler said she thinks of her display windows as a gateway to Tahlequah.
“We try to reflect what’s going on – like the holidays,” Butler said. “[People] may not be interested in buying a formal-wear gown, but I think it brings them downtown. And we keep a book with menus [from local restaurants], so when people ask where they can eat, they can see the menus of [local establishments].”
Billy Kissinger, manager of Tahlequah Lumber Co., said supporting where a person lives is very important.
“We all live in the same community and we all try to thrive in it,” Kissinger said. “Keeping our money local – tax dollars local – obviously improves everything around us like streets and schools. And it’s your neighbors, so why not support them and give them the help they need?”
The financial support of the community helps Tahlequah Lumber stay in business and keeps the company’s employees employed, Kissinger said.
Small businesses are a big portion of tax dollars that support the town, said Drew Felts, of Felts Shoes.
“A big portion of what you spend stays in town, versus going to Tulsa where the money stays there,” Felts said.
He said that when a business sponsors events like sports, the high school and college, it’s supporting the entire town.
Kristy Eubanks, owner of Junie’s Closet, supports the town in many ways, one of which is organizing the pageant for the annual Red Fern Festival.
“We are staying open late for Small Business Saturday, and hosting ‘Meet a Sugar Plum Fairy,’ partnering with the Encore Performing Society for ‘The Nutcracker’ this year,” Eubanks said. “We will have basically our ‘Pop Up Princess’ event except with the sugar plum fairy this year.”
This is a “perfect example” of how a small business engages with a nonprofit and the kids in the community, Eubanks said.
“When you support small business, you are supporting not only that business but also their families and all the communities they support,” Eubanks said.
Events like Ladies Night Out inspires the community to support small businesses, and gives those shops the opportunity to show their appreciation for a community that shops local.
“Small businesses bring the community together – like we had Ladies Night Out last week,” said Abby Hale, a designer at A Bloom Flowers and Gifts. “I live in Stilwell, and it’s nice to see how everyone gets together here and can put on an event. Hundreds of people came through. I’ve never experienced anything like that. We reached our goal in two hours.”
This post was originally published on here
