In case you have not heard, there’s a new shopping holiday nestled between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It is called “Small Business Saturday,” and it is the brainchild of American Express OPEN – the small business unit of Amex.
American Express has switched gears this year to turn the focus on independent businesses.
While the emphasis on Black Friday tends to be on big box retailers, small businesses are teaming up with American Express this year to make a change in the post-Thanksgiving shopping experience.
Unable to match the deals offered by big-box retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target, small businesses tend to get overlooked on Black Friday, one of the biggest shopping days of the year and a good predictor of sales the rest of the holiday season
With the national promotion, American Express is offering cardholders who register their card a $25 credit if they spend $25 or more at a qualifying independent business on Saturday. Additionally American Express is donating $1 to Girls Inc. (up to $1 million) for every person who 'likes' its promotion on Facebook
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Eligible merchants include:
…any independently owned small businesses that accept the American Express Card. Purchases made online, at large, national chains, at franchised business locations and at government agencies are not eligible.
Prepaid, corporate cards and ExpressPay transactions are not eligible
Registration is limited to the first 100k enrollees, and you are limited to one $25 statement credit (typically posted within five business days) per card member.
Small businesses employ half of all private sector employees in the United States and account for about 75 percent of all new jobs, according to the Small Business Administration.
In addition, according to Civic Economics, an economic analysis and strategic planning firm with offices in Austin, Texas, and Chicago, for every $100 spent at a small business, $68 returns to the community.
However, it is an irony to see that American Express being involved in the event, since most small businesses cannot afford to accept the card because of the transaction fees.
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