What Small Business Saturday Means to East Texas Businesses

Every time you shop at Posh Bella Boutique or Swann's Furniture and Design or have lunch at Stanley's Famous Pit BAR-B-Q, you're helping a Tyler small business.  And with Small Business Saturday coming up tomorrow, you'll be part of what could be the single biggest day of the year for them.

Small Business Saturday is a national movement that got started in 2010 when American Express was looking for a way to help small businesses get more customers.  It's held each year on the Saturday following Thanksgiving, and over the past nine years, it's brought in an insane $103 billion for local businesses.

For some mom and pop shops in East Texas, it's been an infusion of cash that's been the difference between staying afloat and going under.  For other small businesses here, it's been the windfall they've needed to reach the goals they've set and to get to the next level with product launches and customer reach.  All of it helps the local economy.

At some point on Saturday, we're all encouraged to shop at a small, independently-owned retailer or dine at a small, independently-owned restaurant.  And use #ShopSmall and #SmallBizSat on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

The Tyler Small Business Development Center offers a bunch of resources throughout the year to help small businesses gain traction.  It's part of a nationwide system that links federal, state, and local government resources to colleges, universities, and private businesses with the goal of helping them grow and prosper.

The Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce helps small businesses plug in too, and the business directory is massive.

Some of the Tyler-area small businesses that might appreciate the support on Small Business Saturday:

R.J. Jewelers
110 East 8th St. Tyler, TX 75701

Gray's Home Fashion Gallery
2301 S Broadway, Suite B-12 Tyler, TX 75701

The Humidor Tyler
7428 Old Jacksonville Highway Tyler, TX 75703

Hudson Printing & Graphic Design
611 S Mobberly Ave. Longview, TX 75607

Swann's Furniture and Design
7328 Old Jacksonville Hwy Tyler, TX 75703

Pink Door Gift Store
4720 S. Broadway Ave Tyler, TX 75703

Susan Robinson Jewelry
6009 S Broadway Ave Tyler, TX 75703

Gold Leaf Gallery
4518 S. Broadway Ave. Tyler, TX 75703

Tatum Music Company
301 N. High Street Longview, TX 75601

Beef Jerky Outlet
8942 S. Broadway Suite 132 Tyler, TX 75703

Tyler Rose Museum
420 Rose Park Drive Tyler, TX 75702

Don's TV & Appliance, Inc.
6714 S Broadway Ave Tyler, TX 75703

Braswell Paint Co.
2108 W Erwin St Tyler, TX 75702

Dakota's Steak & Chop House
4803 Old Bullard Road Suite 1 Tyler, TX 75703

Rick's On The Square
104 W Erwin St Tyler, TX 75702

Stanley's Famous Pit Barbecue
525 S Beckham Tyler, TX 75702

The Grove
3500 Old Jacksonville Road Tyler, TX 75701

El Charro on the Ridge
6899 Oak Hill Blvd Tyler, TX 75703

The Diner
7924 S Broadway Ave Ste 1000 Tyler, TX 75703

Hug-Dawgs Hot Dog Cart
3921 Mobley Circle Tyler, TX 75701

Cowboyz Coffee Stop
16551 FM 2393 Tyler, TX 75703

Roast Social Kitchen
1125 E. 5th St. Tyler, TX 75701

American Express says fewer small businesses are opening and staying
open, and to be successful requires an abundance of grit, passion, and determination. East Texas businesses definitely have that!  And Small Business Saturday is a great chance to show them some love and appreciation.