Black Friday and Cyber Monday get all of the attention, but they aren't the only two shopping events that take place in the first few days after Thanksgiving. While major retailers like Walmart and eCommerce providers like Amazon do great business on their respective shopping holidays, what about small local businesses? They get their day too. On the day after Black Friday, consumers are encouraged to visit their local businesses in an event called Small Business Saturday.

This is an opportunity for smaller companies who can't compete with those offering major door-buster deals as early as Thanksgiving morning to take advantage of the busy shopping weekend. It's a chance for those who want to support their local economy to do just that. Erikka Storch, the Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce President, discussed this.

"When you spend money in a small business, the money stays in your community," she explained. "It helps to provide things in your parks, to pave potholes on your streets and keeps your sidewalks clean."

At Vantage, we are a proud sponsor of Small Business Saturday and we want all organizations to take advantage of the opportunities presented during the holiday shopping season. We encourage all merchants to reach out to us to ensure they are set up to do so. For example, American Express will help promote small businesses that accept their cards in their stores, so make sure your Vantage merchant account is set up to process those payments. 

Remember that customer security risks are just as prevalent in the small business sphere as they are with large chain retailers. Last year, Target kicked off a disturbing string of events when it was breached during Thanksgiving weekend. Working with Vantage will help make sure you are PCI compliant and that you are prepared to protect your customers' data this season.

Small Business Saturday is on November 29, so reach out today before it's too late!