Photo used with permission of ASTRA
I feel strongly about the need to support local businesses. As you do your holiday shopping, please remember that your purchases can make a difference in your local community. In November, there are two big events that support small businesses: Neighborhood Toy Store Day and Small Business Saturday.
Saturday November 10th is the 3rd Annual Neighborhood Toy Store Day, sponsored by ASTRA (the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association.) Many stores will be having special events in their local store and you can visit to show your support of the local economy and businesses. Please visit yourneighborhoodtoystore.org for details about the events planned and for information about the 2012 Best Toys for Kids selected by over 500 independent toy store owners.
Small Business Saturday is November 24th. I own a small business myself, so I understand how hard small business owners work. As a small business owner, I create jobs and know how stressful it is to have other people depending on me for their income. There are many kinds of small businesses, and Small Business Saturday is an opportunity to support our local retailers. Businesses like toy stores, bike shops, book stores, hardware stores and specialty boutiques offer great products and excellent customer service, and they need our support. I’ll be posting more in the coming weeks about Small Business Saturday efforts as I am a Small Business Saturday Ambassador.
In the meantime, please head over to Babble.com to read my post about why “Where You Buy Is As Important As What You Buy.” If you aren’t able to participate in Neighborhood Toy Store Day, you can help spread the word that shopping local matters to your community. You can follow ASTRA on Twitter @thewoohoofactor or Facebook.com/thewoohoofactor to learn more.
