8 Fantastic Small Business Saturday Ideas for 2025

[shukla7789]

Small Business Saturday rolls around in the midst of the holiday season every year to celebrate small local businesses everywhere.

On the fourth Saturday in November, Americans are encouraged to shop small and buy local, whether online or in-store, even if they could find what they need somewhere else.

If you’re a small business owner, this is your day to reach more customers than almost any other time of year.

Let’s take a look at how Small Business Saturday got its start and how you can use it to your advantage with eight super simple Small Business Saturday ideas.

20+ ideas to help you
Market Your Business for Free Online
Strategies that don’t cost anything (but time!) to linkedin database your business get the awareness & leads you need!

Get My Free Guide
CTA
What is Small Business Saturday?
Small Business Saturday (SBS) got its start on November 27, 2010, and was sponsored by American Express. In 2011, the Senate agreed that SBS should be official, and the government has supported it ever since.

With that kind of support, a day that originally started in Massachusetts became a nationwide celebration of small businesses everywhere.

By 2013, even local neighborhoods celebrated it. In 2014, American Express, which trademarked SBS, promoted it across social media and encouraged participation everywhere. By 2015, SBS had become a tradition for both businesses and shoppers.

Small businesses got a special holiday and shoppers gained a sense of hometown pride when they visited local businesses in their community. In 2020 and 2021, SBS shoppers spent nearly $20 billion, and it is estimated that over 51% of Americans planned to support small businesses during Small Business Saturday 2025.

8 fantastic Small Business Saturday ideas
This year, Small Business Saturday takes place on November 26. Wondering how you can celebrate it?

You can reach your customers on SBS in dozens of ways, but these eight Small Business Saturday ideas are the most effective:

Let everyone know you’re participating
Show your similarities with the local community
Promote a special
Use multiple marketing strategies
Hold a contest
Partner with your next-door neighbor
Make customer service your top priority
Increase your ad budget
Jump to the idea you’re most excited about, or keep reading to see how you can implement them all!

1. Let everyone know you’re participating
To take advantage of the hype surrounding SBS and encourage local customers to come by your store or visit your ecommerce website, ensure they know you’re a small business celebrating the day. A few ways you can let them know are:

Posting on social media using hashtags like #SmallBusinessSaturday and #ShopSmall
Updating your website with relevant information
Signing up to be featured on the Shop Small map
2. Show your similarities with the local community
Small businesses typically have strong community ties. In order to promote your small business in a way that shows those ties, outline the ways that you do so.