Did  you know that in US for every year over the last decade, 60-80% of new jobs are generated by small businesses? And for every $100 spent at local small business, $68 returns to the community?

Well now you know, and if you are a small business owner then you must know about Small Business Saturday, an initiative by American Express.  

We all know that a day after Thanksgiving us known as Black Friday where big brands hold huge sales, where as Cyber Monday is celebrated a Monday after Thanksgiving which is a huge day for online shopping. And now we have 'Small Business Saturday' a day dedicated to spread awareness about local independent merchants. 

Amercian Express CEO, Kenneth Chenault and New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg have recently announced that two days after Thanksgiving the entire nation will be celebrating 'Small Business Saturday' with the objective of encouraging consumers to shop at their locally owned independent businesses. 

"Small business is the engine of job creation in the US economy," said Kenneth Chenault, further adding "It is also among the sectors hardest hit by recession. By spreading the word about Small Business Saturday, we can help raise awareness about the critical role small business play in cities and towns across country at a time when they need support the most."

Mayor Bloomberg shared that "Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and the glue that holds communities together, and we've always sought new ways to support them - something that became even more important when the national economic downturn began. When Ken Chenault told me about his idea for Small Business Saturday, I jumped at the opportunity to participate. This year, if you have an opportunity to shop on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, make it a point to visit local small businesses."

The first 10,000 small business owners who sign up with American Express will receive $100 free Facebook advertising that will help in creating buzz about their small business in the online community and drive customers to their shop on Small Business Saturday. Small business owners can create geo-targeted ads as well. Moreover, American Express will gift $25 credit to their cardholders if they are among first 100,000 who pledge to use their cards for shopping at a local small business on Nov 27.

Small business owners can download online promotion materials and use number of tips on Social Media that can help in spreading the word about Small Business Saturday. For every person who 'likes' Small Business Saturday page in Facebook American Express will donate $1 to $500,000 to Girls Inc. to encourage young women to be entrepreneurs tomorrow.