Mom-and-pops takes center on Small Business Saturday | Community
While Black Friday continues to draw huge, hectic crowds eager for discounted goods to national major brand retailers, there has been a movement in recent years to remind customers of the importance of supporting local small businesses.
Small Business Saturday, created in 2010 by American Express, is hosted annually on Saturday after Thanksgiving and encourages customers to explore the more personal, service-oriented experience that deals with small businesses, has to offer.
A business that plans to participate again this year is Ojeda Industries, in Brawley. First and foremost, a supplier of agricultural products such as hydraulic hoses and pumps, bearings and seals and tillage equipment, owners Tony and Patricia Ojeda have seen the very first benefits that small businesses can bring Saturday.
"Usually on a Saturday for our Special type of business, it may be a little slow," says Patricia Ojeda. "Last year on Small Business Saturday we had twice the amount of business we usually wanted."
Ojeda said she appreciate Small Business Saturday, helps remind people of how important small businesses are for communities throughout the United States.
While small businesses, by definition, may not be large employers, they use local residents and tend to keep their
Tony Ojeda observed that his Brawley business ̵[ads1]1; and also other small Valley companies – have a certain kind of relationship and trust with customers that larger brands do not match.
"Most of the Your small businesses are connected to society with a relationship, not just as a business, "he said." The big companies do not return to your small leagues, basketball leagues, FFAs and 4-Hs. We do. We have customers who buy from us, and then we buy for their children to support their local needs. "
Although today some articles can be found online for a few dollars cheaper, Tony Ojeda said that his staff have experience and knowledge for their customers who can not be found online.
" Sometimes we are there for telling them (customers) that this is not the direction they want to go in, or that they are spending money on certain things.
Another advantage to shop locally, in contrast to online, is that all the money offered in the valley remains in the valley, says Brett Driscoll, owner of Driscoll's Surf and Skate Shop in El Centro.
"We spend our money locally," said Driscoll. "We support our community when the children ask for fundraisers, like grants or ticket fees. The people you shop online do not care about the community, they never take any money back. When you take your money out of the valley, it's just less money to go around. "
Driscoll chose to avoid a week's long range of discounts that culminate today.
"We actually started our sales Monday and we continue it through Saturday, just giving our customers a little motivation to trade a little early in Christmas," says Driscoll. "We just have to jump on things. All the major departments make people wait outside. We do not want to make them wait outside for no reason. "
Through the nearly 10 years of Small Business Saturday, Driscoll has detected a small increase of customers participating each year.
" It has turned out to be a decent day, "he said." I think this year will be good too. We want to see. "
The small movement of the store today is Sylvia's Little Treasures in Brawley and Odds & Ends in Imperial. Each company will hold small and medium-sized popup markets.
From 10 am to 17 pm Sylvia wants More than 14 local suppliers on site, a coffee shop, free gifts and a reusable tote bag for the first 25 customers. From 11:00 to 16:00, Odds & Ends will have more than 20 small local suppliers set up in the entire parking lot for the guests to explore.
