The Saturday after Thanksgiving is known as Small Business Saturday. It’s a day dedicated to recognizing the millions of small businesses in the United States, and is designed to encourage people to shop small and bring more holiday shopping dollars to these small businesses as opposed to big-box retailers.

In today’s day and age, it’s more important than ever that we show support for both local shops and small online sellers that sometimes struggle to compete with large chains and mega-retailers. Here are five ways that you can support the little guy and make a big difference in their bottom line.

Shop their stores. The best way that you can support a small business is by spending money in their stores and on their websites. Not only do you help them to remain in business, but you ensure that they will be around for years to come.

Give their gift cards. Everywhere you go you’ll find gift cards for sale for huge national businesses. They are easy to buy right as you check out at many stores. Why not go out of your way and stop at a local shop or go to a small businesses’ website and spend your money there instead?  It really helps out the mom and pop shops that vie for your business and work hard to stay afloat. You may also introduce the recipient of the gift card to a business they have never shopped before.

Write a positive review. We’re always quick to post negative reviews if we have a bad experience but if you have a wonderful interaction at a small business; it’s just as important, if not more, that you share your great experience with other people. Your positive online review is the perfect way to give a small business a boost.

Share your purchases. If you buy something that you just love, share it with your friends and family through pictures on social media. Many times people don’t know what some of these small stores and online retailers sell. This is a great way of showing their merchandise to other people who may also be interested in the same type of thing or be inspired to check it out themselves.

Subscribe to their newsletter. Small businesses depend on staying front of mind when it comes to earning business and repeat shoppers. One of the ways they do this is by sharing news, sales, and new merchandise with their customers. Email newsletters are the most popular and efficient way to get the word out and keep you in the loop on all their exclusive content.

Be social. Following a small business online, commenting, liking, sharing their posts, and tagging them are all ways to bring attention to their stores. The more interaction a small business has online, the bigger their boost when it comes to being discovered by new shoppers.

Refer friends and family. If you love a small business tell everyone! Scream from the highest mountain how great your favorite shop or online seller is. Every time you talk about them you potentially encourage a new customer to check them out.

As a small business ourselves, we are thankful for the amazing customer relationships we have developed over the years and are grateful to all of you that have continued to support The Pajama Company. We look forward to being the go-to for all your pajama needs for many years to come.