Second Year For Small Business Saturday Initiative

We have black Friday and Cyber Monday and now for the second year in a row there's also small business Saturday. Small Business Saturday is a day to support local small businesses that create jobs, boost the economy, and preserve neighborhoods.

Karen Mills with the U.S. Small Business Administration says the idea is simple.

"We are encouraging everyone to visit a small business on Saturday to make a purchase, do some of the holiday shopping, and to engage with those wonderful small businesses on mainstreet that are really part of the fabric of our community."

Mills says supporting the energy and passion of the small business owner is a direct way to benefit the economy at large.

"The money goes right back to the local economy and we know thats important because we all know that half of all working Americans either own or work for a small business. And small businesses create two out of every three new jobs."

Mills points out that 2011 was a record year for small business loans across the country with over 30 million dollar going out from the Small Business Administration to support some 60,000 small businesses with funds for construction, equipment purchases and job creation.