​Support your local economy at Small Business Saturday

In the modern economy, starting a small business can be a large task. Procuring the licenses and permits necessary, stocking your establishment with the right supplies, and refurbishing interiors is already a daunting task without the looming threat of multinational corporations and big box stores that could easily crush it.

In spite of that, we can’t forget that small and local businesses are the lifeblood of not just communities but the country at large. Fortunately, Fargo-Moorhead has a burgeoning number of small businesses, full of heart and spirit; and groups like the Small Business Administration and events like the upcoming Small Business Saturday, on November 26th, help keep that possibility alive.

Thanksgiving is this Thursday, when families and friends share one another’s company and copious amounts of food.

We’re all aware what day comes after that, the infamous Black Friday, when big box stores slash their prices to take advantage of the holiday rush: people trampling each other to get the best deals, high tension, bedlam in the store aisles. It’s not quite the holiday spirit.

Not to mention that some stores, such as Wal-Mart and Target, often have practically arms races to see how early they can open their doors for the sales, sometimes doing so on Thanksgiving evening, taking employees away from their families in the process.

Small Business Saturday arose as the local ma-and-pop store answer to the insanity of Black Friday. Spearheaded by the U.S. Small Business Administration and trademarked by American Express, it introduced the celebration of local economies, and arrived in Fargo two or three years ago.

According to the deputy district director of the SBA, Alan Haut, the goal of the SBA is to help smooth the path for small businesses getting their start and to help maintain their success, as well as promote a sense of synergy among small businesses.

He began the press conference with some incredible statistics. In the entire state of North Dakota there are 69,663 small businesses with 100 to 500 employees, that qualify as small businesses within the meaning of SPA guidelines. He also stated that if the audience were curious about businesses even smaller, that in Fargo alone there are 4,125 businesses that operate with twenty or fewer employees. He also stressed that Fargo is a great place for small businesses to start.

Deputy Mayor Dave Piepkorn, who also spoke at the conference, brought up how the city tries to be as encouraging as possible to small businesses trying to get their start. “The less friction, the better,” he said. He pointed to the success of small businesses in Downtown Fargo. Anyone who has gone shopping Downtown knows that it’s a veritable mecca of flourishing, locally-owned small businesses.

When I was able to speak with Piepkorn after the conference, he told me that although it doesn’t exist yet, he is very excited about the prospect of creating gift cards that would be able to be used at any local downtown businesses, and would love to find a way to implement a program like that in the future.

He also pointed out that Small Business Saturday and its promotion of local businesses give our local business owners an opportunity to compete with Black Friday. Piepkorn was adamant that one of the most incredible aspects of small businesses is that they are able to work together in fellowship, as opposed to the sabotage and cutthroat tactics of larger corporations.

Mark Bjornstad, co-founder and president of Drekker Brewery, who spoke about his experience as a small business owner at the conference, gave a perfect example of this attitude. Drekker and Wurst Bier Hall were both getting their start around the same time, approximately two years ago, and some people were afraid that the two businesses were going to be at each other’s throats in competition. Instead, they helped lift each other up until both were completed and remain great partners to this day.

Bjornstad said that Wurst was their “second home” during the remodeling of the space that would become Drekker. In exchange, Wurst would refer people over to Drekker to grab a few beers and even regularly hosts beers from Drekker on tap as some of their top choices. It’s that sort of support and cooperation, he pointed out, that you would never find between, say, Target and Wal Mart.

So, if you happen to have family in town this Saturday, need to go shopping this weekend, or want to get your Christmas shopping started early, be sure to keep an eye out for local deals and patronize your local businesses.

Sure, you can go shopping on Friday, but what’s one more day of waiting? And then yours is the righteous feeling of having helped build a strong community.