Small Business Saturday ~ November 30, 2013

You hear it all the time, especially in government where we debate constantly about how best to create jobs and strengthen local economies: small businesses are the backbone of the economy.

That's as true as it’s ever been and so is the fact that Albany and Washington can take steps to help improve the economic climate for our small businesses. That’s especially true right here in New York State, where businesses large and small continue to face one of the worst (the most hostile by some standards) business tax climates in the nation. Nobody explains it more succinctly than Governor Andrew Cuomo himself, who has repeatedly said “New York State has no future as the tax capital of the nation.”

But government’s not the only place to make a difference. We all can, and there’s never a better time than now with the holiday shopping season kicking into high gear this week.

So much of our annual holiday shopping increasingly takes place online, we know that, but the further we get into the holiday shopping season the more consumers start turning to “brick-and-mortar retail.” And that, of course, is only great news for local businesses. Fortunately for many of us, there’s still a store right down the street or a shop right around the corner from home that turns out to be the best destination of all to find that perfect (and meaningful) gift.

So here’s hoping that we’ll do our best to support these small businesses on Main Street, Market Street, Water Street, the Commons or wherever they happen to be found in your own community. 

One strategy that really keeps making a difference takes place again this year through a nationwide event on Saturday, November 30th called “Small Business Saturday.”

Read more HERE.