For Immediate Release – November 21, 2018
MIDDLETOWN, NJ – The Middletown Township Committee today announced its endorsement of and participation in the ninth annual Small Business Saturday on November 24, 2018. Small Business Saturday is a day dedicated to supporting the independent businesses that make our communities unique and provide valuable contributions to our economy.
“While the Saturday after Thanksgiving is officially deemed ‘Small Business Saturday,’ we encourage every Saturday to be Small Business Saturday in Middletown,” said Mayor Kevin Settembrino. “Our local businesses are the backbone of the Township’s economy so we hope that residents will continue to support and celebrate them.”
Started in 2010, Small Business Saturday is the ceremonial kickoff to the holiday shopping season for small businesses across the United States. In 2017, an estimated 108 million consumers reported shopping or dining at local, independently-owned businesses on Small Business Saturday, according to the American Express Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey.1 In addition, the most reported reason for consumers aware of the day to shop and dine at small, independently-owned businesses was to support their community (64%), according to the 2017 Small Business Saturday 50-State Survey.2
In May, the Township initiated the 'Made in Middletown' campaign to help showcase small businesses. “Over the last 6 months, the Township Committee has visited about a dozen businesses in various sections of town,” said Committeeman Tony Perry. “We pay a personal visit to the shop because we want business owners to know how valued they are. It’s also a great way to use the Township’s promotional vehicles to bring more patrons into their venue.”
In recognizing the importance of supporting independent businesses in Middletown, Mayor Settembrino and the Township Committee invite residents to shop small with them as well as share the names of small businesses that you love on Town Hall’s Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram social media accounts using #ShopSmall and #SmallBizSat.
The Middletown Township Committee is joining leaders from across the country by working with the Small Business Saturday Coalition, led by Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), a nonpartisan small business advocacy organization, in showing support and helping encourage their local communities to Shop Small on November 24, 2018.
If you're a small business owner and would like your business to be considered, please contact the Mayor's Office at 732-615-2024.
Merchants and consumers can learn more about Small Business Saturday and how to get involved by visiting ShopSmall.com.
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About Small Business Saturday
November 24th is the ninth annual Small Business Saturday. Dedicated to supporting the diverse range of local businesses that help to create jobs, boost the economy and enhance neighborhoods around the country. Small Business Saturday was created by American Express in 2010 in response to small business owners’ most pressing need: getting more customers. Learn more and connect with us on ShopSmall.com, instagram.com/shopsmall, facebook.com/SmallBusinessSaturday
About Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP)
Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) is a national nonpartisan organization advocating on behalf of women entrepreneurs—strengthening their impact on our nation’s public policy, creating economic opportunities, and forging alliances with other business organizations. www.WIPP.org
1 The Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey was conducted by Teneo among a nationally representative sample of 2,160 U.S. adults 18 years of age or older. The sample was collected using an email invitation and an online survey. The study gathered self-reported data and does not reflect actual receipts or sales. It was conducted anonymously on November 26, 2017. The survey has an overall margin of error of +/- 2.1%, at the 95% level of confidence. Projections are based on the current U.S. Census estimates of the U.S. adult population, age 18 years and over. The survey was commissioned by American Express and the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB).
2 Morning Consult, on behalf of American Express and the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB), from November 25-26, conducted the 2017 Small Business Saturday 50-State Survey, among a national sample of 10,000 Americans aware of Small Business Saturday. The data cited are estimated based on self-reported data from this survey and do not reflect actual receipts or sales. Morning Consult used a statistical technique called multilevel regression and post stratification (MRP) to construct state-level estimates from the national survey data. The state level estimates were weighted to approximate a target state level sample based on age, gender, and education. The interviews were conducted online in English, results from the national survey have a margin of error of plus or minus 1 percentage point, and the state-level margins of error vary by state (typically 2 percentage points to 5 percentage points).