Don't forget Small Business Saturday!

Tomorrow is Small Business Saturday, a nine-year-old, nationwide promotion to support small, independent retailers, many of whom have struggled to survive in rural areas in an age of big-box stores and online shopping. Sponsored by American Express, which owns the trademark, it's designed to counter Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It has a Twitter hashtag, #SmallBusinessSaturday, and is also observed in the United Kingdom.

Organizations and individuals are encouraged to sign up as "Neighborhood Champions, promoting and participating in community activities and events on Small Business Saturday," Gabrielle Pickard-Whitehead reports for Small Business Trends. By 2017, the number of Neighborhood Champions across the country had grown to over 7,200. . . . Consumers remain supportive of the campaign, with 90 percent of shoppers believing it has a positive impact on their community."