Montgomery County encourages residents to shop local and shop small on Small Business Saturday, which follows Thanksgiving on Nov. 30. County Executive Marc Elrich will help kick off Small Business Saturday with plans to stop by local businesses in Downtown Wheaton. The Small Business Saturday campaign was developed 10 years ago by American Express and is cosponsored by the Small Business Administration.
“The majority of businesses in Montgomery County are small,” said County Executive Elrich. “When you shop this holiday season, I hope you will think differently about how you shop and give gifts and support the businesses in your neighborhood. Earlier this month, we launched our ‘Gift Outside the Box’ campaign to encourage residents to ‘gift greener.’ The idea is to inspire people to buy local and gift experiences more than items. One of the best things about Montgomery County is our diversity, and that includes the rich array of businesses located here. I hope you will support our local merchants in Montgomery County.”
According to the Small Business Administration, small businesses create two out of every three net jobs. Shopping at small businesses helps support communities and the local economy.
“Small business owners often live here, hire workers here and support many community and nonprofit organizations,” said Judy Stephenson, Montgomery County’s small business navigator. “They are part of the fabric of our community and Small Business Saturday is a reminder that we should be supporting local small businesses every day.”
As part of this campaign, Montgomery County is asking residents to share their favorite local places to shop on Small Business Saturday. Take a photo of your favorite place to shop small in the County and share those small business stories @MontgomeryCountyMD on Twitter #ShopSmall.

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Media contact: Sonya Burke, 240-855-9813