L-R, SBA VT Director Darcy Carter, M. Square Vermont owner Muyisa Mutume, Senator Peter Welch, Antionette Mutume
Event to kick off SBA’s Season of Small Business™, Encouraging Shoppers to Gift Big, Shop Local™ Throughout the Holiday Season
Vermont Business Magazine The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Vermont District Office is urging Americans to embrace the spirit of the holiday season by supporting local small businesses on Small Business Saturday, an annual event founded by American Express and celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2024. To kick off the season, Senator Peter Welch, joined SBA District Director Darcy Carter for a tour of Winooski encouraging all to support a local small business on Small Business Saturday.
“At the SBA Vermont District Office, we are honored to serve the over 78,800 small businesses employing 60% of our state’s workforce,” said Darcy Carter, SBA Vermont District Director. “Small businesses are the heartbeat of our communities. Many Winooski small businesses have felt the impacts of major construction. This Small Business Saturday, we ask you to come together to shop, dine, and entertain at the small businesses in Winooski that help make this community vibrant.”
Tour highlights include:
- A visit with Nicole Carey, founder of Golden Hour Gifts, a feel-good gift shop open since 2015, with a focus on supporting local artists and makers.
- An introduction to founder Greg Davis of Autumn Records opened in 2017. Greg is passionate about his community and supporting his colleagues in Winooski. His record shops provides space for people to come together around the pleasure of music.
- Vermont Furniture Design was founded over 50 years ago and is now run by proteges Rob Bachand and Adam Blaisdell. We saw the magic of taking eco-friendly sustainably harvested hardwood turned into beautiful furniture.
- We moved alongside the Winooski construction to speak with Muyisa Mutume, owner of M. Square African Food & Tropical Food Market, open since 2021. This specialty market imports food from eight different countries, bringing hard-to-find ingredients and flavors to the community.
SBA’s Season of Small Business will continue through December and encourages consumers to support the more than 34 million U.S. small businesses throughout the holiday season. During the Biden-Harris Administration, the U.S. has experienced a small business boom with a record-shattering 20 million new business applications filed nationwide, driven mostly by women and people of color.
SBA has been proud to support Small Business Saturday since 2011 to help drive consumer spending at independently owned small businesses. The day is dedicated to celebrating local businesses that create jobs, help boost the economy and enhance neighborhoods around the country. According to American Express, the projected total reported spending among U.S. consumers who shopped at independent retailers and restaurants on Small Business Saturday since its founding has reached an estimated $201 billion[i].
SBA continues to help entrepreneurs leverage new opportunities during the Season of Small Business’ busy shopping time. Shoppers are encouraged to showcase their experiences by posting photographs on social media using the hashtags:
- #ShopSmall
- #SmallBizSaturday
- #ShopLocal
- #IShoppedSmall
- #GiftBigShopLocal
To learn more about SBA’s support of Small Business Saturday, visit sba.gov/saturday.
L-R Senator Peter Welch, Autumn Records owner Greg Davis, SBA VT Director Darcy Carter
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, or expand their businesses or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit sba.gov.
Cosponsorship Authorization #24-57-C. SBA’s participation in this cosponsored activity is not an endorsement of the views, opinions, products or services of any cosponsor or other person or entity. All SBA programs and services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis.
11.22.2024. Vermont District Office
U.S. Small Business Administration
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