<== Site Review (2012-11-24) ==>

Small Business Saturday by American Express

Since 2010, American Express has promoted the Saturday after Thanksgiving as Small Business Saturday. AMEX is holding a one day special. If you spend $25 at a small business you get a bonus on your AMEX card.

Gimmicks aside, Small Business Saturday is a great idea. Traditionally, small business was the backbone of the American economy.

With the recession and new health care laws, small business is in a world of hurt.

As the small businesses in America systematically fail, they bring down the other small businesses that depended on them.

The timing of Small Business Saturday is also great. The event takes place between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Black Friday is all about the marketing at big box stores and national chains. Cyber Monday is all about humongous internet shops.

Community Color and Small Business

Small Business Saturday began in 2010. I've personally been worried about the fate of American small business long before that.

In the early days of the Internet, I realized that small business was doomed to be overshadowed by over-capitalized ecommerce shops. Starting in 1999, I began making lists of small local web sites in the Mountain West.

My plan was to give free links to small local businesses and to fund the directory with the affiliate programs from the large ecommerce stores. I mark the links to affiliate programs with a (++).

Through the years, I've added some 34,000 listings, pulled about 10,000 dead listings. Most of the listings are to small business and local art organizations. (See link report). Currently 11% of the links in the local directories go to affiliates. (see slime report)

NOTE: I've given away the first directories I created. Use the box to visit the directories I currently maintain:

Small Business Video

The video shows a young lady shopping at a local dance studio.

Premier Small Business Saturday from Premier School Of Dance on Vimeo.