A warm, friendly smile and a desire to meet the needs of shoppers are all typical traits of the small business owners in Marion. They have a unique way of bringing people together through shared interests and experiences and make our neighborhoods feel like home.
This is why Crittenden County Chamber of Commerce is supporting Small Business Saturday on Nov. 25. It will start at 10 a.m. with a booth set up in front of Marion Welcome Center, where coffee, hot chocolate and 50 goodie bags with information about local business sales will be given away to visitors. Some of them will have $50 gift certificates for shopping locally.
"We want to support our local businesses because they are people that we know – our friends and family," said Randa Berry, president of the Chamber. "We want to keep them here and help them continue to be successful."
Taking a bag is free. They are intended to encourage shoppers to forgo national retailers on the busiest shopping weekend of the season, and instead, patronize the many local brick and mortar businesses that are important to Marion's economic vitality.
"We just want to encourage everyone to come out and utilize the great businesses we have in our town," said Berry, who works at Bowtanicals, one of the downtown shops participating in Small Business Saturday. "We are a small, but a good town, and you can get just about anything you need over here. We are full of opportunities, have a lot of resources that everyone needs, and (people) need to take advantage of them."
This is the second year in a row the Chamber is supporting Small Business Saturday, a day dedicated to supporting the diverse range of businesses that create jobs, boost the economy and make up the fabric of the communities.
"In our second year, we hope to get people out and get more excitement," said Berry.
