American Express, The 3/50 Project and several other partners recently launched Small Business Saturday, a day for consumers to rally around the local businesses they care about.  Since Black Friday was created for big box retailers and Cyber Monday was created for e-tailers, small, independently owned businesses have been left out in the cold–until this year!

Here are some fast facts on the Small Business Saturday program:

• Consumers are encouraged to visit www.facebook.com/smallbusinesssaturday to learn about the movement and give shout-outs to their favorite local shops and restaurants.  For every person who “likes” Small Business Saturday on Facebook, American Express is donating $1 (up to $500,000) to Girls Inc. to empower young women to be entrepreneurs of tomorrow;
• American Express card members who register their card will receive a $25 statement credit when they shop at small, independently owned small businesses on Small Business Saturday;
• There will be Twitter sweepstakes for American Express gift cards.

We sat down with Cinda Baxter, retail expert and founder of The 3/50 Project, to learn more about her interest in small businesses and her hopes for Small Business Saturday:

FMM:  What do you think drew people to your first blog post (which resulted in the launch of The 3/50 Project)?

CB: The sheer simplicity of the message and its personal, direct approach. As soon as we hear “What three independent local businesses do you not want to lose?” the mental Rolodex begins spinning through the wonderful little shops, restaurants and service providers we’d miss if they disappeared. That, combined with the simple request to earmark $50 of what we’re already spending made the message sing like no other.

FMM:  Why do you think media has shown a consistent interest in your mission?

CB: Direct simplicity combined with a positive, upbeat approach. Unlike many (most?) “buy local” or “shop local” movements, we don’t ask consumers to completely forgo big boxes and chains, but instead tell them it’s still okay to go there too. The goal is balance—not the “all or nothing” lifestyle most of us would find difficult to uphold. Throwing someone under the bus to get ahead just doesn’t work.

FMM:  Why is Small Business Saturday a good match for The 3/50 Project?

CB: They share our determination to make a difference in a way that touches all independent brick and mortars, regardless of whether they’re an American Express merchant or not. That “whole community” approach—coupled with our shared determination to keep the message positive and achievable—created a match made in heaven. Add the enormous reach they have through both the business community and consumers, and we’re able to move mountains on a pretty grand scale.

FMM:  What are the three easiest things people can do to support local small businesses?

CB: Stop into those businesses that you don’t want to lose, then pick up a little something; that’s what keeps the doors open.

Commit $50 of  your current monthly spending to locally owned, independent businesses. That’s surprisingly easy to do, with just a couple of moments’ thought.

Visit SmallBusinessSaturday.com to learn more about this wonderful initiative! By hitting the ground running on the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend, we can all make a big difference for a lot of small businesses…quickly!