As Arizona state director of the National Federation of Independent Business, I’m thankful for the Grand Canyon State’s small businesses. I’m thankful for their drive and stubbornness, their determination to keep the lights on and keep people working.
Our neighborhood small business owners haven’t had it easy. Many barely scraped by through the pandemic only to face historic inflation that’s driving up the cost of everything. Workers are in short supply. And if Congress doesn’t act, our small businesses will face a massive tax hike in 2025. With a tax hike increasing their costs, our small business owners will again be forced to reconsider their business plans and may be forced to cut jobs or take a pass on growing their business.
That’s why Congress must pass the bipartisan Main Street Tax Certainty Act to stop a massive tax hike on small businesses.
But support for Main Street doesn’t begin and end with Congress. In fact, there’s no better opportunity to show our appreciation for our local job creators than by shopping locally all year round; and especially on Small Business Saturday.
Small Business Saturday, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, (Sat, Nov 25, 2023) is a day for celebrating and supporting the locally-owned shops and restaurants that keep our communities thriving.
Small businesses face many of the same challenges as national chains, but unlike big corporations, Main Street businesses don’t have deep pockets. Small businesses operate on infamously thin margins. Small businesses have persevered, but without our support, some of them might not be around next Christmas. We can’t afford to let that happen.
Our economy is built on small business. While big corporations get most of the attention, 99.5 percent of all businesses in Arizona are small businesses, according to the latest stats from the U.S. Small Business Administration. At least 1.1 million Arizonans are employed by a small business.
Without our small businesses, our communities would not be the same, and Small Business Saturday is a perfect opportunity to express our gratitude.
Although it may seem as if Small Business Saturday has been around forever, this tradition is only 13 years old. Originally created as part of a marketing campaign to help small businesses recover from the Great Recession, it has since taken on a life of its own, much like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Supporting small businesses means that more of your dollars stay local. When we shop small, we’re helping the family-run businesses that sponsor our kid’s sports teams, support our schools, and donate to local charities. We’re supporting our neighbors who employ hardworking Arizonans. And we’re reaffirming our commitment to our community.
I’m asking everyone to shop small on Saturday, Nov. 25, because when we help small businesses, we help everyone.
Chad Heinrich is the Arizona State Director of the National Federation of Independent Business and managing partner for Heinrich Public Affairs in Phoenix.
