Governor Kay Ivey on Monday announced that she has signed a proclamation to formally declare this Saturday, November 30, as Small Business Saturday in the state of Alabama.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Small Business Saturday, which is traditionally held as the holiday shopping season unofficially kicks off the Saturday following Thanksgiving.

“Small businesses continue to serve as the backbone of Alabama’s economy, as well as a staple to the character and charm that make our state so special to call home,” Ivey said in a statement. “I urge Alabamians across the state to shop local on Small Business Saturday and throughout the year.”

As of 2018, there were 30.2 million small businesses in the United States, and 65% of new net jobs over the past two decades were created by small businesses, according to the United States Small Business Administration. In Alabama, 99.4% of businesses are small businesses and employ 48.1% of the private workforce.

NFIB Alabama State Director Rosemary Elebash spoke to the importance of celebrating and supporting Yellowhammer State small businesses.

“When you support locally owned businesses, you invest in your community with job creation and support for local charities and schools,” Elebash said. “More money stays in the community – 67 cents of every dollar, according to an American Express study. 96 percent of shoppers surveyed by American Express and NFIB last year said Small Business Saturday makes them want to shop at small businesses the rest of year.”

Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn