After many Americans go big for Thanksgiving and Black Friday, the Saturday that follows has become the moment to shop small.Observed annually during the first weekend after Thanksgiving, Small Business Saturday encourages consumers to redirect some of their holiday spending toward small businesses — the backbone of the U.S. economy.”With the economy rebounding from forty-year high inflation, there’s never been a better time to shop small in support of local businesses,” Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Kelly Loeffler said in a statement.Small businesses employ roughly half of the private-sector workforce and generate nearly half of U.S. GDP, Loeffler noted.WALMART SUPPORTS SMALL BUSINESSES, AMERICAN-MADE PRODUCTS THROUGH NEW ‘GROW WITH US’ INITIATIVE”When we as consumers take part in Small Business Saturday, we’re investing in the workers and job creators who power our own communities,” she said. “This Christmas Season, the SBA asks every American to join us in standing with Main Street to support the small businesses that make our nation strong.”Created by American Express and co-sponsored by the SBA, the shopping holiday is a critical revenue driver for the nation’s 36 million small businesses.Since its launch in 2010, Small Business Saturday has generated more than $220 billion for restaurants, independent retailers
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Lowe's to give $2.5M to small businesses hammered by Hurricane Helene
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Lowe’s plans to provide millions in financial support to small businesses in North Carolina that were hit hard by Hurricane Helene, helping them recover during the holiday season after federal relief temporarily dried up.The $2.5 million fund will provide grants directly to small businesses in the state. It will also provide support to local business development organizations in advancing their work to help businesses navigate disaster relief aid. The fund is part of the company’s $12 million pledge to support relief and recovery efforts in the wake of Helene and Hurricane Milton.The home improvement retailer is headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina.Joel Cogdell, president of Lowe’s South division, said that small businesses are the backbone of the local economy in western North Carolina, driving important industries like agriculture and tourism. NORTH CAROLINA RESIDENTS COULD FACE WINTER WITHOUT HEATPreliminary estimates by Moody’s Analytics pegged the economic toll of Helene at around $34 billion. “Hurricane Helene impacted our state during what is normally one of the busiest seasons of the year for our small business neighbors,” Cogdell said. “When we talk about supporting small businesses, we are talking about our neighbors, friends, vendors and customers.”In total, 100 small businesses in disaster-declared communities in western
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Veteran-owned Flags of Valor believes in American-made products: 'The foundation of everything we stand for'
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For Flags of Valor — a veteran-owned and operated business that has shipped more than 96,000 flags to doorsteps nationwide — the phrase “made in America” lies at the foundation of everything it stands for.”For over 10 years, we’ve been saying the same thing — we build American products, on American wood, with American tools, made by American hands,” Flags of Valor founder and military veteran Brian Steorts told FOX Business. “And we do it while giving back to the causes that matter — supporting veterans, educating youth, and honoring service and sacrifice at every step.”VETERANS SHARE PATRIOTISM, PRIDE AND PRODUCTIVITY WHILE ALSO PROMOTING ‘MILITARY WORK ETHIC’Founded in Virginia in 2015, Flags of Valor is known for its handcrafted, wooden U.S. flags, as well as military and first responder flags. The business currently has 10 employees, the majority of whom are veterans and military spouses.Each material used by the Flags of Valor team — from the woodworking tools to the tape for the shipping boxes — is sourced from American companies, according to Steorts.FROM BOMB SQUAD TO BAKER AND COFFEE MAKER: FORMER DEPUTY CRUSHES A NEW BUSINESS”We believe that’s the only way it should be done,” Steorts said.Steorts, a combat