By Shelby Stewart
Staff Writer
Ready, set, shop local.
On Nov. 30, Small Business Saturday kicks off and the Ortonville Downtown Development Authority is participating in with giveaways and prizes.
Small Business Saturday was created by American Express in 2010 as a way to support local retailers and small ecommerce shops. The idea continued and today the event is in more than 7,500 communities nationwide. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses comprise 99.9 percent of all U.S Businesses and employ 47 percent of all Americans.
“One of our priorities is to encourage residents to discover our downtown Ortonville businesses and spend their money locally,” said Matt Bailey, DDA Chairperson. “Where we shop, where we eat and have fun, all of it makes our community home.”
Not only is Ortonville giving away prizes, but Oakland County’s Small Business Saturday program is hosting their Shop, Text, Win! contest.
One shopper will win $5,000 in a random drawing, courtesy of ShopLoyal. To enter, shoppers purchase something at any independent retailer or service provider in Oakland County on Nov. 30, take a picture of the receipt and text SHOPTEXTWIN to 41411 and follow the registration instructions. Second prize is $2,000 courtesy of Bank of Ann Arbor, and third prize is $1,000, courtesy of Emagine Theaters.
The Ortonville DDA is partnering with Oakland County for two ways to win locally. Shoppers can enter both the Oakland County drawing and the Shop Ortonville drawing at the same time through Shop, Text, Win.
“While our retail vacancy rate is low, we struggle to create the volume of retail shopping needed to be a shopping destination,” said DDA Executive Director Matt Jenkins. “Using Small Business Saturday, shopper incentives and our existing businesses, this event allows us to encourage that retail volume and help launch the holiday shopping season for our local merchants.”
Five local shoppers will have a chance to win one of the following prizes via the Shop, Text, Win program. First prize will receive $500 in Downtown Dollar Certificates, which can be used at any DDA business in Ortonville. Second prize is $250 in Downtown Dollars, then $100, $50, and $25 for the following prizes, all in Downtown Dollars.