Small Business Saturday – $25 Promotion

Yesterday we covered Christmas shopping deals sites, many of which will have big sales for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but there’s also a chance to save some money in shops that don’t typically have people camped out overnight for deals during the holiday weekend.

Typically Black Friday tends to center around bigger chain stores that advertise huge doorbuster sales and major discounts.  This year, there’s an effort to remind people to shop at their smaller, local stores as well.  This weekend, area stores around the country are participating in something known as Small Business Saturday.

The way it works is that you register your American Express card ahead of time and if you use your AmEx card at a local shop this Saturday to buy more than $25 worth of goods you’ll get a $25 statement credit on your card

I think it’s a cool idea but of course the first question I had after hearing about the promotion was how to know which stores qualify for the credit. We’ll be in a pretty small town over Thanksgiving and I wanted to know if there were any nearby stores where I could use my blue cash card on Saturday. I know some small businesses won’t take any kind of credit cards because they don’t want to pay the fees, they’re cash or check only.

Turns out you can go search in your area on their Facebook page to see a list of all the small businesses that are participating. Until recently I’ve stayed away from Facebook but I created a Money Smart Life fan page not long ago and I’m beginning to see the value of being connected and picking up some good money tips from my fans.

Here’s a screen shot of how the small business search works, just enter your zip code and choose the category of business (Dining, Entertainment, Shopping, Travel,etc) and you’ll get a list of participating local businesses.

In an effort to connect with and help spread the word about these local companies, you can also search by zip to find their Facebook pages. If you become a fan of any of these businesses by clicking the “Like” button then you’ll see any upcoming events or promotions in your Facebook feed.

Of course if you never really use Facebook then it doesn’t do much for you, but if you check it regularly you might be able to score some deals or specials at your local shops.

The more I use Facebook, the more I see why some local companies like using it to stay connected with their customers. It’s not like a Groupon where you get offers from random companies you’ve never heard of. Instead, you become a fan of businesses that you frequent or visit occasionally and you get updates on what they’re up to and any promotions they’re offering.

I think it’s a neat way to support local businesses and who can argue with a $25 cashback promotion on the biggest shopping weekend of the year?

Ben Edwards, the founder of Money Smart Life, saved up enough to buy a Nintendo back when he was 12 years old. When he used the money to buy shares of Wal-Mart stock instead, he knew he wasn't like the other kids... His addiction to personal finance has paid off for his family and now he's helping you to afford the life that you want. Check him out on the web at Google Plus, Twitter and Facebook.

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