CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — It’s strategically placed between Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Saturday is Small Business Saturday.
“Small Business Saturday is something that has been a date set aside to be able to help recognize the importance of shopping with small businesses,” Karen Friel, West Virginia District Director of the U.S. Small Business Administration, said. “That will also be a day that small businesses are going to open their doors to promote shopping small during this holiday season.” 
In the U.S., small businesses create two-thirds of the new net private-sector jobs, according to the SBA.
“In West Virginia, small businesses make up 96 percent of employers in the state. By shopping small and shopping local, we’re able to support those who are supporting our workforce,” Nikki Bowmar, SBA Public Affairs Specialist, said.
The SBA noted more than 88 million customers shopped small last year.
Clarksburg Mayor Cathy Goings, owner or co-owner of five small businesses, said the unofficial shopping holiday is something she pleasantly anticipates.
“Actually, we get a lot of people that do come in purposely because it is Small Business Saturday, and they want us to know that they are supporting us. We’re very grateful for those people, but we can’t encourage people enough to come out and support our local small businesses.”
“When you shop small, you’re turning the dollar in your own community. So, therefore, those small businesses are turning right back around and are able to support those community schools and educational opportunities,” Friel added.
She said they are the little league and youth league team sponsors and providing the resident paychecks.
“Those are most of our family members working for small businesses, our friends, our neighbors. We need to support them,” Friel encouraged. “The better the small businesses are able to do, the better the community is able to do. That allows them to be able to put money back into our communities and turn that dollar.”
The SBA, with its West Virginia district office in Clarksburg, compiles information and marketing strategies for small businesses without the big box store advertising budgets.
Business owners are advised on how to use social media to their advantage. Goings explained how important an online presence has become.
“It gets harder and harder every year with the internet. I would have to think that is our greatest competitor,” she said.
Small Business Saturday was launched in 2010. The following year, the U.S. Senate officially recognized Small Business Saturday.
“Seventy-seven percent of those who shopped small last year on Small Business Saturday said that made them more aware of shopping small all year long,” recalled Friel.
In 2014, consumers spent $14.3 billion at small businesses on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.