The Appraiser’s Diary: Small Business Saturday is November 25

   Each year more people discover something special about the Saturday after Thanksgiving. It’s Small Business Saturday. This year Small Business Saturday is November 25th.

   First observed in 2010, the shopping event has grown strong. Shops and shoppers are uniting to make the day a huge success. Small business is what American commerce and liberty are about.

   When asked why she “shops small” one woman said, “Frankly, I feel it restores the intimacy of the holidays which the big box stores and e-commerce have overly commercialized.”

   Small business owners acquire unique skills. For many of them, their activity is an art. Small business owners believe in the power of the mind and the heart. They desire to share their interests and realize their visions. Doing business with them gives buyers the conditions to negotiate price and terms of sale.

   Smart shoppers appreciate small business people. It takes a determined mind to start a business from an initial idea and often with little capital. How a small business person has realized a goal is quite a story. Running a small business requires devotion to work and knowledge of marketing and merchandise.

   Small business owners show initiative. They know their merchandise well. They guide consumers through the process of purchasing the right item. They put vitality back into the market. They teach and pass on their expertise and enthusiasm to young employees.

   Above all, small business owners respect a person’s individuality. They work hard to gain our confidence and provide us with the best merchandise or service our money can buy.

   The term “brick and mortar store” is a little misleading because a small business store is often a unique building with a charming atmosphere all its own. Many shops are housed in buildings of historical value.

   Small shops are essential to keeping the identity of local neighborhoods. Their owners make intelligent decisions how to build prosperous and happy communities. When you “shop small” you invest in the future of America.

   If you want to purchase a one-of-a-kind or artisan-crafted item, a rare and beautiful artifact with provenance, you won’t get it from a transnational company. The big stores cater to general wants of average consumers by selling cheap commodities at marketable prices.

   Economic analysts ask themselves: What is the key to the success of a small business? Here’s a simple answer many of them overlook: To become successful in business, make people happy by offering them the things they want and need.

   See for yourself how small business is an important facet of American life. This year the thriving commercial district “Antique Row,” near downtown Denver, Colorado, will make Small Business Saturday a bonanza for shoppers.