“Small Business Saturday” Promoted in New York City

Michael R. Bloomberg, New York City Mayor, announced that New York will be launching “Small Business Saturday” on November 27th. This is a national movement working to promote small businesses throughout the country which will take place on Saturday the 27th, between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, two of the busiest shopping days of the year. There are almost 28 million small businesses in the U.S., and 65% of new jobs were created through them. Mayor Bloomberg stated that “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and the glue that holds communities together, and we’ve always sought new ways to support them — something that became even more important when the national economic downturn began.”

Kenneth I. Chenault, American Express Chairman and CEO, joined Bloomberg at City Hall on Monday to support the operation. New York is the first city in the U.S. to proclaim the day. As part of the operation, American Express is initiating a national advertising crusade, as well as social media projects on Facebook and Twitter. The first 10,000 business owners to apply will receive $100 of Facebook advertising to encourage shoppers to participate in Small Business Saturday.