COLORADO SPRINGS — This small business Saturday, many of us find ourselves stuck at home. But don’t think your local mom and pop shop hasn’t realized that.
It’s a yearly tradition.
“It’s been going on nationally for a very, very long time,” said Aikta Marcoulier with the Pikes Peak Small Business Development Center.
Small Business Saturday was born from an all too familiar predicament.
“It started in 2010 as a result of another economic recession,” said Becca Sickbert with the Manitou Springs Creative District.
It’s supposed to draw large crowds, akin to Black Friday, but exclusively for local, family businesses.
In a year where support for these businesses is needed more than ever, there are some things you should know.
“We’re doing something a little bit different because of the year obviously,” said one small Business owner at a virtual Colorado Springs small business tour on Saturday. “We are spreading out our sale over a longer period of time, so it’s actually going to start today.”
The virtual tour put on by the Pikes Peak Small Business Development Center and Better Business Bureau of southern Colorado--has moved virtual this year.
At local businesses, the deals have already started.
“Not only for your own sanity and getting your shopping done early, but also for social distancing,” another small business owner said.
This year, small businesses are thinking on their feet.
“What it comes down to when we’re looking at economic recovery in a pandemic, is that we have to be flexible,” Sickbert said.
It’s why Manitou Springs leaders worked so quickly to launch their online shopping platform, ManitouMade.com.
“We’ve got furniture makers, and jewelry makers and artists,” Sickbert said. “We’ve got small businesses represented across a lot of different industries.”
READ MORE ABOUT THE MANITOU SPRINGS PROJECT, INCLUDING HOW TO GET INVOLVED
