As a proud Corporate Supporter of Small Business Saturday® and the Shop Small movement, we want to make sure that you (and your community!) can make the most of this annual event.
With that in mind, here are some simple tips to help you make Small Business Saturday a success for your business.
[Updated November 2025]
Small Business Saturday is being celebrated on November 29th this year, and it’s your local business's time to shine! If you’re not quite sure how to prepare, here are a few helpful tips:
Plan something special for Small Business Saturday
Celebrate the holiday with a big sale, free gift with purchase, or store fundraising event. Just make sure you promote your event online ahead of time in order to spread the word and to get the most customers, neighbors, and potential clients in attendance.
Use free online resources
Many websites provide online resources for small and local businesses to take advantage of during the holiday and every other day of the year. American Express, the creators of SBS, even offers free marketing tools for small business owners available for download on their site.
Hibu also offers plenty of free marketing tools to figure out where your local business is thriving and where it can use some improvement. Check out our marketing checklist, Facebook Ad reach calculator, or get your free digital marketing score.
Create print promotional ads
Use the Shop Small Studio to create ready-made flyers, stickers, and other print promotional materials to spread the word about your business and special SBS deals and offers.
Update your social media
Social media is essential to a successful digital marketing plan ... especially to get the word out about Small Business Saturday! Post videos, photos, and updates to your social media pages, and be sure to use the hashtags #ShopSmall and #SmallBusinessSaturday.
Partner up
Check out this map of other small businesses in your area, and think about possibly partnering up with another business nearby for the big day. Small businesses need to stick together!
Know the Champions
Get to know your Neighborhood Champions. These are small businesses who do SBS the right way.
Extend your hours
Consider opening up an hour earlier or staying open an hour later to make the most of what could be your biggest business day of the year. (And if your hours are changing beyond SBS, make sure you update all your business listings for the holiday season)
Prioritize customer service
Things might get a little chaotic — especially if you’re bringing in more business than usual on SBS. Don’t forget to put people first and prioritize customer service. You can do this by being open and transparent about any delays or issues, empowering your employees to resolve small issues, and responding to phone calls, emails, chats, or DMs promptly.
Check back in
After the big day, send a follow-up email to your customers to thank them for all of their support. You can also consider including a discount or invitation to your next event.
You probably will have new people on your email list as a result of SBS as well, and this is the perfect time to introduce them to your company with a welcome email.
If you’re not a fan of email, you can also create a social media post—on Facebook, Instagram, and any other channels your customers use most—thanking them for their support.
Celebrate your community
Remember that Small Business Saturday is all about your local community. Take time to get to know your local customers and other neighborhood businesses while promoting your own at the same time.
As a Corporate Supporter of the event, Hibu encourages local businesses across the U.S. to mark your calendars for this year’s Small Business Saturday (the Saturday immediately after Thanksgiving), and get ready for your local customers to Shop Small!
