PLAINFIELD, IL — Saturday, Nov. 30, is a crucial day for independently owned local businesses in Plainfield. It’s Small Business Saturday, the kickoff to “shop small” events that emphasize the power of dollars spent in local communities.
Founded by American Express in 2010, Small Business Saturday is sandwiched between the major Black Friday retail shopping holiday, which tends to favor national brands, and Cyber Monday, an online shopping event that this year takes place on Dec. 2.
The following local businesses are participating in this year’s event:
- Plainfield Vacuums, 14807 S. Route 59
- Plainfield Paws, 14810 Michigan St.
- Nabby’s Restaurant, 14802 N. Michigan St.
- Ten Drops Coffee, 14903 S. Court St.
Since it started in 2010, consumers have reported spending an estimated $163 billion at small businesses across all 12 Small Business Saturdays combined.
There are 1.3 million small businesses in Illinois, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2024 state profiles. They make up 99.6 percent of businesses in the state and employ about 43.6 percent of the state’s total employees.
Between March 2022 and March 2023, 36,473 small businesses opened and 33,551 closed, contributing a net increase of 81,551 jobs, state data shows.
Local businesses depend on increased sales in the last few months of the year to help them reach their revenue goals, and you’ll find plenty of in-store cheer and holiday happenings that will make the shopping experience fun.
Locally owned businesses recirculate a far greater percentage of revenue locally compared to absentee-owned businesses, according to the American Independent Business Alliance. Independents return about 48 percent of their revenues back into the local economy, compared to 14 percent returned to the local economy by chains.
Small businesses are typically defined by the federal government as those with fewer than 500 employees.
They are responsible for two of every three jobs over the past 25 years. Even a partial collapse of small businesses could weaken the overall U.S. economy, according to the Labor Department.
