A woman shops on Front Street in downtown Marietta on Small Business Saturday in 2022. (File Photo)

MARIETTA — Mid-Ohio Valley residents who want to show their support for area small businesses and get in a little holiday shopping will have the chance to do so Saturday.

Saturday, Nov. 30, is Small Business Saturday and gives everyone the opportunity to celebrate small businesses’ contributions to their communities by shopping at small businesses.

It was started in 2010 by American Express and has been officially co-sponsored by the Small Business Administration since 2011, according to the administration’s website.

Around $17 billion was spent at small business in the U.S. on Small Business Saturday in 2023, according to the SBA, and there are more than 34 million independent businesses in the United States.

Some local area chambers of commerce are holding events or supporting Small Business Saturday in other ways, including the Marietta Area Chamber of Commerce

“We are doing what we’ve done for at least a couple of years,” Marietta Area Chamber of Commerce President and Chief Executive Officer Kelsy Eaton said.

They will be posted in front of MOVE Staffing on Saturday, along with staff from the Marietta-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau and Marietta Main Street, and will be giving out a tote bag, $5 in Marietta Bucks and copies of a shop small holiday guide to the first 100 people who come by, according to Eaton.

The guide will have flyers and offers from member businesses, she said.

The Marietta Chamber’s Gnome on the Roam promotion is ongoing and if shoppers see the little crochet gnome next to a register on Small Business Saturday they will be able to earn $50 in Marietta Bucks and will be entered into a drawing for a grand prize basket worth $700, according to Eaton.

Small Business Saturday is a really important day for a lot of the businesses in the area, she said, and it helps get their profits up and gives people the opportunity to get their Christmas shopping done all at once.

“It’s great for both sides … it’s always good to contribute back to businesses in your local economy,” Eaton said.

The Belpre Area Chamber of Commerce will not be hosting an event, but it has been supporting local businesses for Small Business Saturday, according to Belpre Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Karen Waller.

“What we’ve been doing is mostly via social media,” she said.

Waller said they have been doing a “like and share” campaign on Facebook where people share their favorite small business and they have been encouraging their members to do the same.

They have also been doing a shoutout campaign on Facebook highlighting different member businesses, according to Waller.

These efforts help in “engaging people to shop local,” Waller said.

The Belpre Chamber also held a luncheon that focused on marketing for small businesses, according to Waller.

“The whole idea is to utilize our local businesses as much as possible,” she said. “We have some great small businesses working really hard to fill needs.

It is also important to not just shop small but to shop local, according to Waller.

“We would encourage people to give local businesses a chance all year long, not just this time of the year,” she said.

The Chamber of Commerce of the Mid-Ohio Valley is not doing anything specific for Small Business Saturday, according to Chamber President and Executive Director Jill Parsons.

The chamber does encourage all of its member business to share on social media any sales or deals they are having, she said.

They also encourage people to support local businesses“all the time … not just on Small Business Saturday.”

Downtown PKB is promoting Small Business Saturday by listing small businesses in Parkersburg that are offering deals during the promotion.

These businesses include the Parkersburg Art Center, which will be holding its annual Holiday Artist Market, and the Blennerhassett Hotel and Spa, which will be offering $5 off when $25 is spent.

More information on Parkersburg businesses offering deals on Small Business Saturday can be found at https://www.downtownpkb.com/small-business-saturday.

Michelle Dillon can be reached at mdillon@newsandsentinel.com