KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Retail stores and restaurants are hoping to get support on Small Business Saturday.
"It has been very challenging and very, very difficult. We don't know what tomorrow looks like," said Amna Bawany of Sohaila’s Kitchen.
It's been a hard year for small businesses owners everywhere. That's why this year's Small Business Saturday is more crucial than ever.
"We wouldn't be open if it wasn't for the local support. My sales, 95 percent are from the local KC area," Emily Bordner, EB & Co. said.
Bordner, who owns the local jewelry store EB & Co. is hoping people shop not only this weekend, but in the months to come.
"We can't stress this enough. In retail, this last quarter really carries us through all of first quarter of 2021. I have gotten a lot of podcasts and streaming different conferences about how challenging first quarter is going to be," Bordner said. "So really, when you are shopping this year, you really are rooting and supporting your favorites. You really want to make sure they stick to that second quarter in 2021."
She said her Black Friday sales were great, but she needs people to return back to her stores and others next year.
"It's really thinking about where you would miss going if we didn't make it through and how much that is powerful voting power with your money and how it supports local businesses and the community," Bordner said.
Local restaurants also hope for your business.
"When you give someone a gift card, you are telling them about a business they might not have known about before. They'll go use their gift card to buy a meal and then they will come back ten times after that because they finally heard about this restaurant and tried it out," said Bawany.
Bawany said that simple gift card means they can keep their doors open longer.
"We are not, as small businesses, backed by big banks or corporations. We don't get the same loans and government assistance that most big corporations do," Bawany said.
Remember this holiday season when wanting to give back or give a gift to a loved one, go local.
"If you shop Small Business Saturday, you are going to help us through the holiday season as the weather gets bad and if we possibly have to shut down after the New Year because we still don't have a vaccine," Bawany said.
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