West Virginia’s first “Shop Small in July” campaign will urge citizens of the Mountain State to shop small and local throughout the month. The campaign will also encourage West Virginia small businesses to prepare for Small Business Saturday and the upcoming winter holiday shopping season.
The inaugural “Shop Small in July” campaign is the brainchild of the West Virginia Small Business Development Center (WVSBDC) and the U.S. Small Business Administration’s West Virginia District Office (SBA).
“By joining us in this ‘Shop Small in July’ summer campaign, we hope to spread the word and promote small businesses from all corners of the Mountain State,” said WVSBDC State Director Erika Bailey. “Our local small businesses need support from our shopping dollars year-round, especially during the critical winter holiday season.”
“We want to encourage consumers to shop small year-round,” said SBA’s West Virginia District Director Karen Friel. “Shopping at local retailers puts more of your dollar back into your own community. More than 98 percent of employers in West Virginia are small businesses. ‘Shop Small in July’ and ‘Small Business Saturday’ are great reminders to make shopping small a regular routine.”
Throughout July, the public will be encouraged to support West Virginia’s small businesses through WVSBDC’s social media sites. The WVSBDC is challenging the public to help promote more than 115,000 West Virginia small businesses by checking-in or tagging the business while shopping using the #ShopSmallWV hashtag.
The WVSBDC will ask businesses to call the Business Ask Me! Line at 888-982-7292 to ask for “Support Small Business” pledge cards and other promotional materials to distribute to customers during the upcoming holiday shopping season. Customers sign the cards as a show of support for West Virginia’s small businesses. Businesses can display the cards in their shops.
The 2017 Small Business Saturday takes place Nov. 25. Small Business Saturday was created in 2010 by American Express to take place on the first Saturday after Thanksgiving, between Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
