On Friday morning, millions of people will form insufferably long lines in many of the biggest retail chains in the world to get an extra 10, 15, or 50% off an item in a well-known phenomenon called "Black Friday".
When you start to do the math, adding up how early you have to get up (or how late you stay up, depending on your level of sanity), parking a half-mile away, waiting in line to get in the store, the search for the item, the line waiting to check out, the time all that takes, along with any possible hurdles and obstacles that accompany Black Friday, is it really worth it?
Through Facebook, I was connected to a promotion known as "Small Business Saturday" a movement championed by American Express. Small Business Saturday is:
"A day to come together in support of the small businesses we love, the shops and restaurants that employ our neighbors and reinvest our money close to home, the businesses that are the heartbeat of our communities and local economies."
I think it's important for us to be conscious of the role of small businesses in our community- something I've become more aware of in my time working at Ideas in Motion Media, especially in this holiday season.
On their website, American Express has a map of many participating small businesses in your area. There are tons of great deals out there from our community's local businesses, so in lieu of standing in those long lines or surfing the web on Cyber Monday, check out Small Business Saturday.