Most everyone knows about Black Friday as the day after Thanksgiving, when many stores have great deals and prices on what they have to sell usually from big box stores.

But for small local businesses, Stuart Chamber of Commerce Member Nate Westre says Small Business Saturday is what those small town businesses are looking for. He says it got started in 2010, with American Express at the helm, to drum up support for communities centered around smaller, more rural areas.

Westre tells Raccoon Valley Radio about how important small businesses are for the local community.

“Small businesses are really the backbone of all of our communities. They’re the ones sponsoring the little league teams, or donating to Parent Teacher Organization, or any of the Boy Scouts and the fundraisers. It’s always the small businesses, they’re the ones that step up and handle that.”

Westre mentions that businesses and retailers in Stuart have done an excellent job of turning Small Business Saturday into its own holiday, with many shops and restaurants having deals and specials for the day.