MANSFIELD – As the holiday shopping season fast approaches, a group of Richland County’s elected officials gathered Monday to remind the community of “Small Business Saturday.”
Representatives of the Richland Area Chamber of Commerce, many local mayors and others met at 9 a.m. in Relax, It’s Just Coffee to proclaim Saturday, Nov. 25 as “Small Business Saturday.”
“We all know and love Black Friday. We love to support that day, but we hope that Richland County will also come out and support Small Business Saturday,” said chamber of commerce president Jodie Perry. “For many of our small business owners, they tell us, this is one of their busiest days of the year.”
The proclamation stated that for every $100 spent at a “small local retailer,” about $68 returns to the community in some way. It also mentioned that locally owned businesses provide jobs and have a positive impact of “quality of life.”
But Shopping small within Richland County on Saturday has an extra benefit. When visiting one of about 80 Richland County businesses, shoppers also have a chance to win gift cards and certificates from each of the participating businesses.
Now in its third year, the countywide “Passport to Small Business” initiative aims to encourage consumers to shop at small, locally-owned businesses through the whole holiday season, starting with “Small Business Saturday.”
Shoppers can collect stamps at every participating business listed on their passport, which can be viewed and printed here. By Monday, Nov. 27, shoppers must turn in the passport to be entered in a drawing for gift cards and gift certificates.
Read more about the passport here, or view the list of participating businesses here.
Small Business Saturday is being jointly sponsored by the Richland Area Chamber of Commerce, Ontario Growth Association, Shelby Area Business Group, Clear Fork Valley Chamber of Commerce, Main Street Books, Downtown Mansfield, Inc. and Be Focal Buy Local.
Monday morning’s event included Mayor Tim Theaker of Mansfield, Mayor Steve Schag, of Shelby, Mayor Randy Hutchinson, of Ontario, Mayor Eugene Parkison, of Lexington, Mayor Teri Brenkus, of Bellville, Mayor Kenneth Kinley, of Butler, Mayor Timothy Redden, of Plymouth, Richland County Commissioners Marilyn John, Darrel Banks and Tony Vero, state representative Mark Romanchuk and members of the Small Business Saturday Planning Committee.
The mayors of Lucas and Shiloh and Senator Larry Obhof weren’t present Monday, but are expected to sign the sign the proclamation later.
