Small businesses are the heartbeat of our communities. They’re the corner stores that create jobs. The hardware stores that help build our economy. The drug stores and pharmacies that always have what we need when we need it. They’re the mom and pop shops whose very presence makes a neighborhood, our neighborhood.

The Shop Small Movement inspires people to do business with these smaller enterprises and to give back to the places that have given so much to their communities.

At the Sidney-Shelby County Chamber of Commerce, small businesses are the heart and soul of our membership. Eighty-seven percent of our member organizations employ less than 50 people. Small business is a driving force in the Shelby County economy.

This holiday season, let’s all rededicate ourselves to shopping small and shopping local. Please join me in thanking our area businesses with your purchases. These establishments are the life blood of our community and woven into the very fabric of Shelby County. Let’s vow to support them, not only on Small Business Saturday, but all year long.