SBA Indiana Promotes Small Business Saturday with #ShopSmall Walking Tours of Indiana Small Towns

First stop Madison Thursday

The holiday shopping season is here and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Indiana District Office and small business partners from state and local organizations are grabbing their walking shoes for their third annual Small Business Saturday #ShopSmall Walking Tours. First stop? Madison, Indiana on November 14.

SBA Indiana District Director Stacey Poynter says the #ShopSmall Walking tours are a way to highlight the great small business districts located throughout the state and encourage consumers to support local economies by shopping small and shopping local during the holiday season. 

“Small businesses are the engine of Indiana’s economy and are responsible for creating over 33 thousand net new jobs last year,” Poynter said. “Shopping small during the holiday season —and throughout the year--allows consumers to make a tremendous impact by supporting small business owners creating jobs in their own neighborhood. By shopping local and shopping small, consumers are investing in the success of their community’s future.”

“Small business is the fabric of our community,” said newly elected Madison Mayor Bob Courtney. “In addition to the substantial benefits to our Madison economy, small business drives tourism and fuels our high quality of life. Madison has a rich heritage with businesses on our historic Main Street and across our community where you can find boutiques, cafes, shops, restaurants, and lots more, all of which are festively decorated for the holiday shopping season.”  

SBA Indiana #ShopSmall Walking Tours take place prior to Small Business Saturday during the second and third week of November. This year’s schedule includes tours of Main Street in Madison, Jasper Town Square and downtown New Albany. The public is invited. Tours kick off at 9am with networking and a press conference followed by stops in several small businesses to chat with owners and check out the unique gift ideas and activities each town has to offer.