MANSFIELD — It’s officially Thanksgiving week, which means shopping for the Christmas season will officially begin as soon as the last slice of pumpkin pie is eaten.
Richland County officials are encouraging locals to shop small this holiday season, starting with Small Business Saturday on Nov. 24. On Monday, a dozen local officials added their names to a proclamation declaring Nov. 24 as “Small Business Saturday” in Richland County.
Participating in person at Relax, It’s Just Coffee on Monday were Mayors Randy Hutchinson of Ontario, Eugene Parkison of Lexington, Teri Brenkus of Bellville, Commissioner Tony Vero, and Richland Area Chamber of Commerce President Jodie Perry.
According to Perry, this year a record number of 111 small businesses in Richland County will be participating in Saturday’s event.
“We’ve got small businesses all over who are going to be doing something special,” she said.
Shoppers can print a Prize Passport from richlandareachamber.com as a guide to locating the 111 participating businesses. The Passport can be stamped at each location that a shopper visits. Each additional stamp increases a shoppers chance of winning a raffle prize donated by a participating business.
Small Business Saturday was first launched in 2010 by American Express in an effort to encourage people to “Shop Small” and bring more holiday shopping to small businesses. This is Richland County’s fourth consecutive year participating in the movement.
In 2013, more than 1,400 individuals and organizations nationwide signed up as Neighborhood Champions to rally their communities with events and activities on Small Business Saturday. By 2017, there were more than 7,200 Neighborhood Champions across all 50 states.
“The small, locally-owned businesses of Richland County are vital to our area’s economic health,” said Lexington Mayor Eugene Parkison. “The people of Richland County are grateful to the small businesses of the area for their generous contributions to the quality of life we all enjoy.”
The U.S. Small Business Administration states that small businesses create 65 percent of new local jobs. Some economists state that for every $100 spent at a small local retailer, $68 will return to the community through taxes, payroll and donations to local schools and charities.
Public awareness of the contributions made in Richland County by local businesses is the key to sustaining a healthy business climate, Parkison said.
In addition to American Express, Small Business Saturday is made possible thanks to the Richland Area Chamber of Commerce, the Ontario Growth Association, Main Street Books, Downtown Mansfield Inc., the Clear Fork Valley Chamber of Commerce, Be Focal Buy Local, and the Shelby Area Business Group.
