The Entrepreneur’s Source Terry Powell: Why I Am Thankful for “Small Business Saturday”

Terry Powell, founder of The Entrepreneur’s Source: Why I Am Thankful for “Small Business Saturday”

There’s so much for all of us to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, right down to the smallest blessings.

But right there near the top of my list is the small business owner, and not just for my own, obvious reasons as the owner of The Entrepreneur’s Source®, the nation’s leading career transition coaching franchise.

“Small Business Saturday” celebrates the people who are not just dreamers, but also doers. People who want to bring better ideas and products to their communities, and are willing to invest their life savings into the challenge. These are the small business owners, the real backbone of American business. They have the power to create real jobs and hire locally.   And they’re the engine that feeds this country’s massive economy as well as the local economies in the places where they live and work.

According to a recent The Kauffman Index report, half a million new businesses open their doors every month. Of that number, about 15,000 are franchise businesses-people willing to believe in themselves and their services, or products. They are nimbler than their gargantuan competitors and don’t reduce the neighbors they do business with to mere numbers on a page. They’re just ordinary folks, who are doing extraordinary things by betting on themselves.

That’s why I believe so strongly in celebrating the small business owner year ‘round, but especially on “Small Business Saturday”, which is celebrated on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, November 25th.

The idea for “Small Business Saturday” started, oddly enough, with American Express, a huge American corporation. They realized the importance of small businesses in this country and wanted to focus real attention on supporting them from coast to coast. That’s why American Express has championed “Small Business Saturday” since 2010 because it touches so many lives and honors those small business owners who help their communities thrive.

In 2016, AMEX estimated a record number of more than 112 million shoppers participated in “Small Business Saturday” ringing up sales to the tune of $15.4 BILLION! That’s a lot of money being spent, then funneled back into the same communities, strengthening the economy.

These business owners, for the most part, aren’t strangers. They’re neighbors, fellow church members, PTA leaders, youth league coaches, who also volunteer their time for other endeavors, too.

Many are corporate survivors, men and women. After being tossed off the “island,” usually due to corporate downsizing, or aging out, they have dusted themselves off, then embraced the idea of working for themselves. They now are creating greater opportunities to reach their own Income, Lifestyle, Wealth, and Equity goals (I.L.W.E.™), while creating legacies for their children.

Some are military vets who have built-in skill sets from their service experience, such as accountability, problem-solving, adaptability, discipline, and work ethic. The big corporations recruit them hard, but many vets have decided they want to control their own destiny by owning their own business.

Others are college grads, or kids still in school, who desire the freedom to create their own niche, and not get caught up in somebody else’s idea of success. They’re unafraid of bringing fresh ideas into the marketplace, and see the value of business ownership.

For these and the thousands of other small business owners, I, along with the entire team at The Entrepreneur’s Source, salute you, your boldness and willingness to set a different course toward your own success, and that of the communities, towns, and cities where you live.

May we all use this “Small Business Saturday-2017” to recognize their efforts and show them our gratitude, by purchasing their goods and services for the benefit of all of us.

And if you’d like to learn more about how we celebrate small business every day at The Entrepreneur’s Source® by helping people explore alternative careers as small business owners, check us out at https://entrepreneurssource.com/about_us.html.