Small Business Saturday 2020: Help Them Stay Afloat In Sarasota

SARASOTA, FL — Small businesses have been the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, making Small Business Saturday in 2020 more vital than ever. This year, the all-local shopping event falls on Nov. 28 including in Sarasota.

Independently owned boutiques, gift shops, mom-and-pop hardware stores, restaurants and the like in Sarasota are facing unprecedented challenges due to coronavirus-related restrictions and shutdowns.

The list of Small Business Saturday participants continues to grow, despite the pandemic. Here’s some of the businesses that have signed up so far:

• The Woman’s Exchange, 539 S Orange Ave
• Fit2run, 1400 Main Street
• Getfpv, 1060 Goodrich Ave
• Swim Mart SRQ, 50 N Tamiami Trail
• Evelyn & Arthur, 1480 Main Street
• Happy Feet, 1453 Main Street
• Toy Lab, 1529 Main Street
• L. Boutique, 556 S Pineapple Ave
• Michael’s Wine Cellar, 1283 S Tamiami Trail
• Sarasota Tile Supply, 1931 13th Street
• T Georgianos, 1409 1st Street Suite B
• Designing Women Boutique, 1226 N Tamiami Trail
• Lotus Boutique, 1464 Main Street
• Mal’s Liquors, 1543 Main Street
• Stylish Living, 1425 1st Street
• Light Bulb Depot 34, 2121 Cornell Street
• Sparccs Treasure Chest, 1426 Fruitville Road
• Palm Avenue Express, 43 S Palm Ave
• Nikki Sedacca Enterprise, 530 Burns Lane
• Rosemary Convenience Store, 312 N Orange Ave
• Book Bazaar, 1488 Main Street
• Fox Mirror & Glass, 2172 10th Street
• Hitch House, 1925 12th Street
• Southern Supply Company, 1039 Central Ave
• Sarasota Architectural Savage, 1093 Central Ave
• Italian Idea, 136 S Pineapple Ave
• Kennedy Studios, 1472 Main Street
• Vung Tau Oriental Market, 1333 B N Washington Blvd
• Jessica’s Picture Framing, 1507 2nd Street
• Central Avenue Express, 580 Central Ave
• PR Distributors, 1251 Seeds Ave
• Home Resource, 741 Central Ave
• Milan’s Jewelry, 1666 Main Street
• Sarasota Collection, 622 Central Ave
• Detail Garage, 1155 N Washington Blvd
• Eleganza Sarasota, 1477 Main Street
• Zemi Jewelers, 1484 Main Street
• Veteran Apothecary, 1229 2nd Street
• Builder’s Door & Supplies, 2022 12th Street
• Cristy’s Custom Sewing, 2249 Ringling Blvd
• Samba 1652 Main Street
• Antiques & Chatchkes, 1542 Fruitville Road
• Violin Shop, 1521 Main Street
• Sarasota Trading Co, 522 S Pineapple Ave
• Sarasota Discount Pharmacy, 110 N Lime Ave
• KMC FL, 730 N Washington Blvd
• BT Tires 2336 Fruitville Road
• Florida Marine Research, 1315 Mango Ave
• Suncoast Customs, 2075 12th Street
• America’s Super Pawn, 1120 N Washington Blvd
• Phuoc Loc Tho Market, 1944 12th Street
• Camilyn Beth, 73 South Palm Ave
• Pinnacle Wheel Works, 2251 Ringling Blvd
• The Hearing Spa, 1416 Fruitville Road
• In the Pink, 1727 Fruitville Road
• Thayer Jewelers, 1433 Main Street
• Barometer Fair, 1255 North Gulfstream Ave
• Me Home Collection, 50 S Palm Ave
• Treasures, 1466 Fruitville Road
• Sarasota Rare Coin Gallery, 640 S Washington Blvd
• La Sabrosura Market, 560 N Washington Blvd
• Tweeds Suit Shop, 320 Central Ave
• Papillon Studio, 51 S Palm Ave
• 301 Tires, 1020 N Washington Blvd
• American Pie Antiques, 1470 Fruitville Road
• August Third, 512 Pineapple Ave
• Southern Pine Lumber, 1375 N East Ave
• Ultimate Vitality, 73 S Palm Ave
• Lyx Home Design, 1301 Main Street
• Wet Noses, 1465 Main Street
• A Tifany & Son, 1515 Ringling Blvd
• The Wood Floor Store, 2490 12th Street
• Wicked Smart Homes, 527 S Pineapple Ave
• Twices Nice, 1480 Fruitville Road
• 9 Four One Media, 1800 2nd Street
• Ashland Investments, 640 S Washington Blvd
• Diamond Dotz at Home, 1990 Main Street
• World Coin & Jewelry, 1648 Main Street
• Gulf Tile & Cabinetry, 1415 1st Street
• Coastal Coin Company 229 S Osprey Ave
• Sarasota Ford, 1159 Central Ave
• A&M Minimart, 1159 Central Ave
• Once a Pawn a Time, 1303 N Washington Blvd
• SRQ Modern, 2054 13th Street
• Onlyskincare, 32 Palm Ave
• Smart Material, 2170 Main Street
• HCC Auto Sales, 2314 Fruitville Road
• Male 2.0, 1661 Ringling Blvd
• Douglas H Kresge, 1915 11th Street
• 58th Street Customs, 2127 Princeton Street
• Ata Auto, 1915 12th Street
• Flooring By Tile Experts, 2041 12th Street
• The Crystal Cave, 1899 Fruitville Road
• Siesta Healing, 5101 Ocean Blvd.
• Beach Babe Boutique, 5212 1/2 Ocean Blvd.
• The Artful Giraffe, 1861 Fruitville Road

ALSO ON PATCH: Sarasota Business Directory

Did we miss anyone in Sarasota? Tell us in the comments or send an email to Tiffany.Razzano@Patch.com and we’ll add it to the list.

Temporary closures, capacity restrictions, decreased demand for products and services and delays due to supply-chain issues have led to unprecedented challenges for small-business owners.

But the “Shop Small” movement continues amid these hardships.

“This holiday season looks a little different, but we can still share joy,” American Express, which established Small Business Saturday in 2010, said in a statement. “Shop small and support your favorite small businesses — both in store and online — all holiday season long.”

Sixty-two percent of small businesses in the United States need to see sales income return to the same rate it was pre-pandemic before the end of the year to stay in business, according to American Express.

These businesses, many family-owned, were already fighting for survival against malls, big box stores and online retailers before the pandemic.

“Small businesses have an immeasurable effect on the quality of life in neighborhoods by providing necessary resources and supporting a local ecosystem that includes charitable organizations, schools and churches,” said Caroline Connors, executive director of the Morgan Park Beverly Hills Business Association, an organization that supports small businesses on the South Side of Chicago.

Since 2010, local business supporters have spent more than $100 billion on Small Business Saturday, according to American Express.

A Shop Small Consumer Impact survey from American Express before the pandemic found that 73 percent of people think empty storefronts are a national issue, and 84 percent agree the increase in empty storefronts and the closing of small, independently owned businesses negatively affect their local communities.

The survey showed that when consumers are aware of the impact of spending their dollars locally, 75 percent said they would be more likely to purchase a product or service from small, independently owned businesses.

For every dollar spent at a U.S. small business, approximately 67 cents stays in the local community, according to American Express. This helps independent shops and restaurants keep their doors open and meet pay for their workers — your neighbors.

That amounts to about $67 billion that has stayed in local communities since Small Business Saturday began, according to American Express.

“With so many small businesses hit hard in 2020, it’s more important than ever to shop locally this holiday season to ensure they are able to continue operating in 2021,” Connors said.

Here are some additional Thanksgiving 2020 stories:

• Coronavirus Spread In Sarasota: See Your Risk Of Exposure
• A Pandemic Thanksgiving: How To Celebrate Safely In Sarasota
• Restaurants Open For Thanksgiving 2020 In Sarasota
• Want A Free Pie? Pick One Up From Keller Williams Classic Group
• Tanner's Turkeys Thanksgiving Basket Brigade Seeks Donations
• FL Grocery Store Hours On Thanksgiving: Publix, Walmart, Safeway
• Thanksgiving Travel 2020: Worst Times To Drive In Florida
• Black Friday Sales 2020: Store, Mall Hours In Sarasota