VALDOSTA – On Tuesday, November 20, Mayor John Gayle read a proclamation ahead of Small Business Saturday, held downtown at Valdosta Furniture & Mattress on Central Avenue.
While big-box retailers have Black Friday, Small Business Saturday is dedicated to showcasing and supporting local small businesses throughout the country. This annual observance began in 2010 and has become a national holiday campaign. Downtown Valdosta Main Street, as a regional center of locally owned businesses, supports and celebrates the importance behind shopping local. These businesses help to give Downtown a distinct personality that makes shopping and visiting here a unique and special experience. Celebrating shopping local is a good time to remember the economic impact locally owned businesses have; according to the American Booksellers Association over half of what you spend when you shop at a locally owned business will stay in your community, supporting local organizations and services. SHOP SMALL® with Downtown Valdosta’s shops, restaurants, galleries, and boutiques on Small Business Saturday, November 24th, and make a big impact on our community.
Valdosta Main Street has partnered with Chamber of Commerce to promote Small Business Saturday with sales and swag that citizens will see downtown soon. The Downtown Valdosta area has more than 1000 free parking spaces for those interested in coming out to celebrate.
“When you come to downtown Valdosta, know that it can be an all-day event. You can come down and have breakfast in one place, do a little shopping, lunch in another place, and maybe drinks on the rooftop at Steel Magnolia’s to finish your evening,” says Rachel Thrasher, Main Street Program Coordinator.
“Small Business Saturday brings a lot of foot traffic to the downtown area,” said Susan Mullis, owner of the Flower Gallery, of which she has been the owner 19 years. Located at 127 North Ashley, the Flower Gallery has survived changes in consumer/business ownership for nearly 50 years. The growth downtown has helped business like Mullis’, and Cottonwood Market & Boutique, located at 123 North Ashley. These business neighbors are enjoying the downtown Valdosta growth.
Taylor Maples, the manager of Cottonwood Market & Boutique, has only been at her location just over a year. She benefited from last year’s Small Business Saturday as a new store. “It brought in a ton of people and really worked out for us to be a new business,” Maples said. “It helped get out name out there.”
According to Bette Morgan, Vice President for Business Developemnt, “We’ve looked at our Chamber memberships and 95 percent of them are considered small businesses,” Morgan said. “The state’s standards for small businesses are 500 employees or less.”
For more information, contact the Valdosta Main Street office at (229) 259-3577 or rthrasher@valdostacity.com.
