SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY
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threelives.com
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Smack on the corner of 10th St. and Waverly Place in Manhattan's Greenwich Village, a small store lures the passerby. Open the cherry-red door and you step into a cosy environment that feels welcoming and intimate: the world of books.
This is, after all, Three Lives & Company, a cherished institution in this section of New York and a wonderful place to visit if you love books of which there are plenty in this cheery, pocket- size bookstore. On shelves lining up the walls, on tables, on counters near the register area. Sporting colorful covers and sundry sizes, the books cast a spell and invite you to open them. Some will grab your interest the moment you start reading a page, others will not. But not to worry because notwithstanding the small size of the store, there is a big enough selection for you not to go home empty handed.
Three Lives & Co. is a small business with a personal flair. And while unique, it is only one among hundreds of thousands of other similarly small-sized enterprises that cater to the public. In fact, almost 98 percent of the businesses in the U.S. are small businesses, employing fewer than 100 employees, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. They play a powerful role in the nation's economy and are an important part of our cities and towns. Just consider the many types of small businesses in your neighborhood such as deli stores, restaurants, beauty parlors or barber shops, boutiques, guest houses, bakeries. The list, which also includes professional services and small-scale manufacturing concerns, goes on and on.
These are difficult times for any company, but especially the smaller ones which usually lack the capital resources of larger corporations to help them sail through rough weather. Officially the recession is over but you wouldn't know it from the millions of people out of work, the desperate homeowners struggling to stave off foreclosure, and the worried consumers now spending more cautiously, if at all.
Small Business America is hurting and that is where the 2nd annual Small Business Saturday comes in. Dreamed up by American Express, this initiative seeks to get American consumers to patronize small and local businesses during one of the busiest shopping week-ends of the year: specifically, the Saturday following Black Friday (which benefits big box retail stores) and preceding Cyber Monday (which is all about e-commerce). This year it falls on Nov. 26.
As publicized on the Small Business Saturday Facebook page: "On November 26, we're asking millions of Americans to shop small at their favorite local stores and help fuel the economy. When we all shop small, it will be huge." Last year, the Facebook page generated more than one million "like" registrations; as of Nov. 12, the number of "likes" exceeded 2 million.
Small business needs a shot in the arm and Small Business Saturday could well be it. So on Nov. 26, take a walk in your neighborhood and shop at a favorite local store or maybe a new small business with products you like. You need not buy up the store; a single purchase is sure to be appreciated.
If you have a small business, consider the following offer from American Express. The company is giving $100 of free Facebook advertising to 10,000 business owners who sign up at facebook.com/smallbusinesssaturday.The advertising will help businesses build online buzz and attract customers to their stores on Small Business Saturday.
And to make it more worthwhile for consumers to participate, American Express also is giving a $25 statement credit to 200,000 Cardmembers who register their Card and use it to shop on Small Business Saturday at any small business that accepts American Express.
Three Lives & Company 154 West 10th Street, New York City
Between Waverly Place & Greenwich Avenue
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By Denise Blasor
In music, in a flower, in a leaf, in an act of kindness...
I see what people call God in all these things.
--Pablo Casals
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A SIMPLE TIP
When fruit flies abound, an alluring plant named after a Roman goddess might just do the trick of getting rid of these pesky pests without need of resorting to nastier alternatives such as chemicals. "The Venus Flytrap worked for me and is cute, besides," reports Natalia de Cuba in her personable blog -- Hot, Cheap & Easy -- devoted to food and cooking. You can find Venus Flytraps in garden nurseries, some hardware stores, or can grow them from seeds.
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BY DENISE BLASOR
Walking through each day with an open heart.
-- Ann O'Shaughnessy |
Copyright 2011 © Lorraine Blasor All Rights Reserved
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