November, 2025 | DELAWARE SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER
Go Local, Go Delaware:
Making the Most of Small Business Saturday 2025
Shopping Small Is More Than Just A Purchase
The Delaware Small Business Development Center (DSBDC) is looking forward to Shop Small Saturday on November 29th, recognizing the vital local small businesses that fuel Delaware’s communities. We honor small business owners on this day for their resilience, determination, and exceptional work ethic. Starting a business requires immense effort, and Delaware’s entrepreneurs are successfully setting the pace by transforming their innovative dreams into reality.
Considered the backbone of Delaware’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, small businesses provide jobs, opportunities, and inspiration to our local communities. Although Small Business Saturday is a wonderful reminder to Shop Small during the holiday season, it’s crucial to recognize that these businesses deserve our appreciation and support every day of the year. When we commit to supporting them year-round, every purchase creates a powerful ripple effect: boosting our economy, enriching Delaware community life, championing sustainability, fostering incredible innovation, and creating a marketplace full of unique solutions.
What Can You Do To Help?
Supporting your community by shopping on Small Business Saturday does a few things:
- Directly Support Your Community – Business owners are your neighbors and friends
- Get a Gift That Stands Out – Get loved ones something special that only a local business can provide
- See What’s Out There – These businesses are a great resource all year round
- Instead of an impersonal transaction, you get to build a relationship with the people behind the product and walk away with a memorable story or perfectly curated item/service
Where Can I “Shop Small”?
Finding local businesses in your area can be done in many ways – search for the product or service you’re seeking on Google or another search engine and scroll through those results! You can locate some small businesses through the AMEX Small Business Locator, or browse the website of a local Chamber of Commerce, too!
Get on your social media accounts and follow businesses in your area to find some new shopping spots. You can even ask a friend or family member what small businesses they frequent to get some ideas for where to shop during this upcoming holiday season. Looking for Delaware-specific gems? Search using #ShopSmallDelaware to find businesses looking to boost sales this holiday season.
Remember that retail locations are a great option, but service-based businesses can also offer gift cards, promotional items, coupons, discounts, and more for that special person in your life – get creative!
We also recommend the local holiday market events – so many vendors in one place, all throughout the season! Check out this article with some regional options: https://delawaretoday.com/things-to-do/holiday-markets/
Lastly, keep an eye out for signage outside a business that says “Shop Small HERE” – this is a great indicator that you’re supporting a small business.
When Should I Start Shopping?
Remember that this season, especially, it is best to Shop Sooner!
While supply chain shortages and staffing challenges are felt across many industries, businesses are finding ways to be creative and adapt to high demands. Shopping early in the season can help lessen the holiday rush for your local business owners. Consider shopping either online or in-person, and try to be patient with the small business staff providing your product or service – these last few years have been especially tough, and we love to see kindness practiced among the Delaware business community.
There are also a number of events and promotions that fall on certain dates throughout the entire season. Connect with local businesses on social media or by signing up to newsletters, forums, or other channels to get direct updates.
Let's Shop Small!
Your patronage means the world to a small business – share the love on social media by following, re-sharing, or posting about your favorite product or service with #ShopSmallDelaware or with our free downloadable “Shop Small Delaware” kit of graphics. Check out the links in this article to grab your graphics today.
Cheers to another successful holiday season, and happy Small Business Saturday from the Delaware SBDC!
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD SHOP SMALL GRAPHICS
Graphics are in a .zip file – once downloaded, right click and select ‘Extract All’ to access each individual file.
Share with us online, using #ShopSmallDelaware or tagging Delaware SBDC!
DELAWARE SBDC
Delaware Small Business Development Center is a state-wide support hub for entrepreneurs in Delaware at any stage in their business. With over 40 years of serving the small business community in our small-but-mighty state, the SBDC offers expert, confidential, one-on-one
advising and training at no cost.