Monday, April 18, 2016

Small Business Saturday Statistics

Small Business Saturday, a day right after Black Friday, meant to bring business to local shops in hopes of sustaining local economy. This article has analyzed the effects of this new "holiday" over all of America, not just here in Utah. This proves that Small Business Saturday has more of a national effect than state, but that is good in the fact that support for the culture of small business has a chance to stay alive and well.

In my research I have highlighted Small Business Saturday and showed the details of it. This article is vital for my research as it gives the legit research behind the initiative. This will be a major backbone to my upcoming paper.

"Small Business Saturday Statistics | What You Need to Know." Grasshopper. Grasshopper.com. Web. 18 Apr. 2016. <http://grasshopper.com/resources/articles/small-business-saturday-statistics/>.

Small Business Saturday Statistics | What You Need to Know. (n.d.). Retrieved April 18, 2016, from http://grasshopper.com/resources/articles/small-business-saturday-statistics/

Local Entrepreneurs: Benefits You and the Community

In previous essays, I have mentioned benefits for local communities to support local businesses. This article gives even more reasons for supporting small businesses. Going small improves health, improves local economy, lets the customer know the people behind the product, keeps the community unique, and finally there is better customer service overall. All of these reasons are very convincing.

My final paper is all about convincing the average consumer to shop small. I plan on using this as a way of giving examples of close to home feelings. This article even convinced myself to shop small even more than I already do.

Rampton, John. "6 Benefits for You and Your Community From Supporting Local Entrepreneurs." Entrepreneur. Entrepreneur.com, 17 Apr. 2015. Web. 4 Apr. 2016. <https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/244839>.

Rampton, J. (2015, April 17). 6 Benefits for You and Your Community From Supporting Local Entrepreneurs. Retrieved April 4, 2016, from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/244839


Why do You need to Support Small Businesses

With small businesses creating more and more jobs for the people of America, it is absolutely vital that the culture of small businesses stays alive. Forbes.com talks about how the everyday American is, in one way or another, connected to a small business. Yet they are often overlooked for many wrong reasons. They may have higher prices or less of a selection of inventory, but that does not mean small businesses should be forgotten.

This article adds to my research as the main backbone to the main reasons for small business support. I have already talked about why small businesses get overlooked as part of the opposing side essay. This particular article will be the tie up for all loose ends in my research.

Leinbach-Reyhle, Nicole. "Why Do You Need to Support Small Businesses." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 2 Sept. 2014. Web. 18 Apr. 2016. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/nicoleleinbachreyhle/2014/09/02/why-you-need-to-support-small-businesses/#15c4d466147a>.

Leinbach-Reyhle, N. (2014, September 2). Why Do You Need to Support Small Businesses. Retrieved April 18, 2016, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/nicoleleinbachreyhle/2014/09/02/why-you-need-to-support-small-businesses/#15c4d466147a

Why Social Media?

Social Media is one of the newest and most influential advertising means in this day and age. It increases brand awareness because it puts in right in peoples faces. It also legitimizes it by proving the brand is active in changing and keeping up with the times. It also increases sales by getting word out immediately about specials or reduced prices or new merchandise. Since social media is immediate, improving customer service is a vital part of small business survival.

Personally, there are so many small businesses that I follow on various social media that have increased in customer base just because of social media. I love it when they send out deals specifically for social media because there is a more personal feel to the event. I fully support social media as a means to contribute to small business growth.

Steinberg, J. (2014, September 08). 5 Benefits of Social Media Business Owners Need to Understand. Retrieved April 18, 2016, from http://www.inc.com/peter-roesler/5-benefits-of-social-media-business-owners-need-to-understand.html

Steinberg, Joseph. "5 Benefits of Social Media Business Owners Need to Understand." 08 Sept. 2014. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.

Watch out for Failure

The New York Times lists the top ten reasons that any small business can fail. They are reasons that any business can fail victim to. They are things like not enough money, a reduced demand for the products, or owners stuck in their own ways and not open to change. The most unexpected reason is out-of-control growth. When businesses all of the sudden start to take off, but don't have the financial backing, will fail. It is better to grow at a steady rate rather than all at once.

This article gave my research great insight into how small businesses function. I am going to pull many of these reasons into my solution paper as a call to action for the readers. The readers need am understanding of what small businesses need.

Goltz, Jay. "Top 10 Reasons Small Businesses Fail." Youre the Boss Top 10 Reasons Small Businesses Fail Comments. The New York TImes, 5 Jan. 2011. Web. 18 Apr. 2016. <http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/05/top-10-reasons-small-businesses-fail/?_r=0>.

Goltz, J. (2011, January 5). Top 10 Reasons Small Businesses Fail. Retrieved April 18, 2016, from http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/05/top-10-reasons-small-businesses-fail/?_r=0 

Monday, April 11, 2016

What Can You Do?

It's the holiday season once again. Black Friday is looming. The focus is on the huge deals at large franchises and the local small businesses have no chance against them. The solution ends up being Small Business Saturday. The day after Black Friday, the goal is to bring more clientele to small businesses. Since its installation, Small Business Saturday has proven to be more a success than ever thought in the first place.

Small Business Saturday is a main point in my research. It is a day where small businesses have the chance to increase intake better than ay other day of the year. As a consumer, I feel that Small Business Saturday is one of the best programs to support small businesses to date.

Lowry, Erin. "How You Can Support Small Business Saturday." U.S. News: Money. U.S. News. Web. 11 Apr. 2016. <http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/my-money/2015/11/25/how-you-can-support-small-business-saturday>.

Lowry, E. (n.d.). How You Can Support Small Business Saturday. Retrieved April 11, 2016, from http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/my-money/2015/11/25/how-you-can-support-small-business-saturday

5 Ways

Small Business Week was originally created in the early sixties by President Kennedy in hopes of creating more of a drive in entrepreneurship.  This article gives five ways to support small businesses during this week. The first is to go have dinner at a locally operated restaurant. The second is to buy food at a farmers market or local grocer. Next, spread word about your favorite businesses to acquaintances. Fourth, share the news of how local economy is supported by the consumers. Fifth and final, just appreciate the small businesses around you.

This article is very to the point of going about how the consumer need to support local businesses. By listing very simple tasks that any one person who has the desire to can easily execute. Personally, I try to do these things. It is super simple and rewarding in the long run.

Ty Kisel. "5 Ways to Support Small Businesses." Huff Post: Whats Working in Small Business. Huffington Post, 19 June 2013. Web. 11 Apr. 2016. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/18/small-business-week_n_3461967.html>.


T. K. (2013, June 19). 5 Ways to Support Small Businesses. Retrieved April 11, 2016, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/18/small-business-week_n_3461967.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/18/small-business-week_n_3461967.html

Choose Small: They Deserve it

The week of May 4th-8th is National Small Business Week. In this article, it is explained how small businesses are anything other than small. With more than 58 million workers employed in a small business, these businesses have a duty to provide for those employees. Small businesses need support to do this. Customers are what gives that support. As the article says "Everybody wins when we support small business", pretty much sums up what you, the consumer, needs to do.

In creating my solutions page, this is a vital resource as there are many pieces of interest that will add to my paper. Small businesses are vital to a state's economy, that is the case here in Utah. So this up and coming Small Business Week or on Small Business Saturday, do your part and shop small.

Goodman, G. (2015, May 5). Choose Small: Why Small Businesses Deserve Our Support. Retrieved April 11, 2016, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gail-goodman/choose-small-why-small-bu_b_7154380.html

Goodman, G. (2015, May 5). Choose Small: Why Small Businesses Deserve Our Support. Retrieved April 11, 2016, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gail-goodman/choose-small-why-small-bu_b_7154380.html

Solutions: Top Ten Reasons

Lists of top ten reasons for anything tends to draw the attention of any person. The top ten reasons for supporting local businesses is no different. By listing reasons about what supporting small businesses does for it calls the consumer to a duty of support. Shopping local creates character and prosperity. It gives a community well-being, helps with local decision making, and entrepreneurship. Jobs and wages are created, which keeps money local, which in turn keeps public benefits up and costs down. Competition, in the long run, will keep businesses open by striving to be the best. Environmental sustainability is something very beneficial to the environment. Product diversity keeps people coming back for items.

This applies to my final essay to be written as this is a obvious call to action. Small businesses are in need of support from consumers in order to actually make it with an income. I, personally, enjoy short concise lists that are easy to understand. This source is one of those.

Mitchell, Stacy. "Top 10 Reasons to Support Locally Owned Businesses." Institute for Local SelfReliance. 10 Dec. 2012. Web. 11 Apr. 2016. <https://ilsr.org/why-support-locally-owned-businesses/>.

Mitchell, S. (2012, December 10). Top 10 Reasons to Support Locally Owned Businesses. Retrieved April 11, 2016, from https://ilsr.org/why-support-locally-owned-businesses/