Small Business Saturday is a chance for businesses to reach out to customers in a more personal way

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are known as the busiest shopping days of the year, and between those two days is Small Business Saturday. American Express said that last year consumers spent an estimated $22 billion at independent retailers and restaurants on Small Business Saturday.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is encouraging consumers to support “Main Streets across America by shopping small” on Small Business Saturday.

“With the economy rebounding from forty-year high inflation, there’s never been a better time to shop small in support of local businesses,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler in a prepared statement. “Small businesses employ half of the private sector workforce and generate nearly half of GDP (gross domestic product) – which means that when we as consumers take part in Small Business Saturday, we’re investing in the workers and job creators who power our own communities.”

Small businesses in San Fernando Valley like Calabasas Saddlery see Black Friday and Small Business Saturday as a chance to reach out to their customers in a personal way.

“Like many small businesses, Black Friday and Small Business Saturday — we call it a ‘Small Business Weekend Celebration’ — are more than just massive sale days,” said Calabasas Saddlery owner Julie Lindberg. “It gives us the opportunity to bring our horsey community together. There’s nothing more fun than meeting your barn mates at the Calabasas Saddlery for a day of ‘retail therapy.’”

Julie Lindberg and her family have owned the Saddlery in Calabasas since 1973, and they enjoy being part of the horse community. “There’s nothing quite like the connection between a person and a horse,” Lindberg said. “It’s quite similar to the love and connection we feel for a dog or a cat.”

According to Los Angeles County data, the county is home to 1.3 million small businesses with more minority- and women-owned businesses than any other in the nation.