This year Small Business Saturday will be widely publicized and recognized on Saturday, November 26th. In a nutshell, Small Business Saturday is an event created and endorsed by American Express aimed at benefiting both shoppers and small businesses, to encourage people to shop local and small…a recent trend with consumers. And on a larger scale, it’s an effort to remind people to fuel the economy.

It offers holiday shoppers a chance to get a $25 credit on their statement when they use their American Express Card at a small business on Saturday, November 26th. The shopper can apply for a card in order to get this benefit, or they can register their current card by going to the American Express Small Business Saturday page at Facebook.com, found at http://www.facebook.com/SmallBusinessSaturday (you don’t need to have a Facebook page to use this). This is important because it is the shopper that needs to register. How will the shopper know they need to register? Well, that’s where you can help by providing you with all the information and tools for getting the word out.

Small Business Saturday is a chance to align yourself with a well-known brand, and get some free benefits such as $100 value of Facebook advertising discounts, FREE signage to put in your storefront, e-marketing materials tools, and and how to guides on setting up Facebook page or Youtube video to benefit your business.

Basically, it is a marketing campaign put right into your hands, and all you have to do is start using it.So what’s the fine print? Well, not surprising, your business needs to accept the American Express Card to qualify. Fair enough. That being said, all of the tools and guides that the campaign steers you towards are ones that a small business owner would be wise to employ anyhow and will no doubt prove useful in the future.

What’s that…Thanksgiving is next week and you are too busy to do all this? Then do what you do have time for. Notify your cusotmers of YOUR great Post Thanksgiving promotion with a quick 6 sentence email blast to your customers, a “Like” from your Facebook business page, of a “Tweet” to let people know you are participating.