Green Country Shops 'Small Business Saturday'

We've all heard of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but Nov. 29 was Small Business Saturday.

The shop small initiative was started by American Express in 2010.

Communities across the country are pushing people to buy local, including here in Tulsa. All Things Cake at 71st and Memorial has everything and anything when it comes to baking.

The locally owned business is in its fifth year. On Saturday, their loyal customers showed support.

"We had some people at the door to get some really good bargains, but those real serious people were here first thing,” owner Janette Stenstrom said.

It helped create a day of record sales – 1,600 in an hour.

One study shows that 54 percent of U.S. sales happen at small businesses.

"We don't want people to forget the little guy, which we certainly are,” Stenstrom said. “We don't have the electronics and toys, but this morning proved that people will shop local."

At locally owned Fleet Feet in Tulsa, owner Lori Dreiling said her customers appreciate the personalized attention they are able to give.

“The key is we work with you individually,” Dreiling said. “We want to know about your personal needs, your aches and pains. We will help you with those."

Customer Michael Rutter is a loyal patron.

"It makes me feel like I'm important to the business and getting good information and part of the business,” he said.

Dreiling, a member of the Tulsa Regional Chamber of Commerce, says 85 percent of members of its members are small businesses.

“Our staff is well trained,” she said. “We spend many hours training our staff… we employ 40 local people, so we are supporting 40 families in the community.”

Broken Arrow used Small Business Saturday to launch a new interactive map for shoppers. The digital map of the Rose District lets shoppers find locally owned shops and restaurants.

Rose District Digital Map

If you weren't able to fit in any small business shopping on Saturday, some stores are extending the discounts through Sunday. The first 100 people through the door at Fleet Feet get an envelope that will contain a gift card anywhere from $5 to $200.

However, shopping local is something that can be done any day of the year. Economic experts say that for every $100 you spend locally, about $70 circulates back into your own community.