WCEC NJ Celebrates Small Business Saturday

The Women’s Center for Entrepreneurship celebrates Small Business Saturday by urging consumers to shop local and providing educational resources, business counseling, technical assistance and access to Covid relief and recovery funding for women and BIPOC-owned small businesses. As a recipient of a 200k SBA Resiliency and Recovery grant, the WCEC is focused on continuing to develop quality programs to help small businesses succeed.

Small Business Saturday takes place this Saturday, November 27, 2021. It’s a day to celebrate and support small businesses and spotlight how they are the engines and heartbeats of their communities. Many small businesses have been hit by the Covid-19 pandemic and it has disproportionately affected women and BIPOC entrepreneurs. This year, small businesses need support more than ever as they pivot, re-brand and recover. As an SBA Resource Partner and Women’s Business Center, the WCEC has joined the SBA and organizations across the country in supporting local small businesses and urging consumers to shop local and use their buying power to keep small businesses a vital part of their communities.

Small Business Saturday was founded by American Express in 2010 and co-sponsored by the SBA in 2011 and has become a critical part of small businesses’ busiest shopping season - the holiday season. According to the 2020 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey commissioned by American Express, U.S. consumers who shopped at independent retailers and restaurants on Small Business Saturday reached an estimated $19.8 billion. The survey also found that 97% of shoppers recognized the positive impact they can make by shopping small and 85% of them reported they also encouraged friends and family to Shop Small® as well.

WCEC Executive Director Rana Shanawani understands the importance of supporting local businesses. “Small businesses are an essential part of our economy. We work with micro-businesses and solopreneurs and provide them with critical resources to start, operate and grow their business. If we learned anything from the pandemic, it’s that small business owners are survivors and that women and BIPOC entrepreneurs are leading the way on the path to recovery.”

How can consumers, small business owners and organizations participate in Small Business Saturday?

• Shop at local small businesses. WCEC clients are great place to start. Add Kurly Kurtosh, Vow Beauty, SpectraSpray , The Atticco, and The Dessert Ladies to your shopping list.

• Get free small business marketing materials provided by American Express.

• Promote Small Business Saturday on social media platforms using #ShopSmall

• Donate to organizations like the WCEC who are providing the tools and resources necessary for small businesses to pivot and thrive.

About Women’s Center for Entrepreneurship
The Women’s Center for Entrepreneurship (WCEC) is a registered 501c3 nonprofit. As a Small Business Administration Resource Partner and Women’s Business Center, the WCEC’s mission is to help small businesses succeed. WCEC works with women and minority-owned businesses from the start up stage to existing small businesses looking to scale up by providing educational resources, business counseling, career training, technical assistance and COVID-19 relief loan and grant assistance.
For more information on WCEC, go to https://www.wcecnj.org/