FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is Shop Small Maui?
The Shop Small Maui campaign brings attention to the importance of our friends and neighbors who are small business owners. They give where we live a sense of community, and contribute to our local economy in many ways. Initiated by American Express and now adopted by many communities and governments, the Shop Small campaign is a national, year-round celebration of small business owners everywhere.
What is Small Business Saturday?
Small Business Saturday is an American shopping holiday on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This year’s Small Business Saturday will take place on November 24th and is a counterpart to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which highlight big box retails and online shopping respectively. Small Business Saturday encourages holiday shoppers to patronize locally owned brick and mortar businesses. It is part of an ongoing national/local Shop Small campaign.
Maui County will promote the Shop Small Maui campaign throughout 2018, with a special marketing period for the Shoppers Photo Contest in October and November 2018.
3 Reasons to SHOP SMALL all year-around
What’s Earned Here, Stays Here
Local shops employ local residents, which means more job opportunities and income within our community. When you SHOP SMALL instead of online, more sales tax is generated by your favorite local stores, which can then be used to improve our own community.
By shopping at independently-owned small businesses, you are also supporting other local businesses such as attorneys, tax preparers, architects, printers, etc., who support our small businesses owners.
It’s a Kākou Thing
When our local businesses thrive, the entire community thrives! From hosting book groups to craft classes and free keiki events, Maui’s small businesses serve as community hubs that bring friends and family together. They also keep our economy humming by supporting local artists, food producers, and manufacturers.
Mālama Mother Earth
Shopping locally helps cut down on processing, packaging and transportation waste, leading to less pollution. Also, locally grown food is likely to contain more nutrients and have less packaging.
Shop Small Maui welcomes small businesses owned and registered in Maui County to join the campaign throughout the year by signing up online at www.shopsmallmaui.com. For more information, contact OED Business Development Specialist Tokie Ogawa, ph. 270-7415.
