Supporting Rural Communities by Shopping Small

After the leftover turkey sandwiches and stuffing are packed in the fridge and family has returned home, there’s another important event to focus on during the upcoming holiday weekend. For several years, Small Business Saturday has encouraged folks to head to the local boutiques and shops in their communities on the Saturday after Thanksgiving to celebrate and shop at the small businesses that are centerpieces of many rural towns.

In North Dakota, small businesses — which represent 96% of all employers — are the backbone of our economy. They are staples in our communities and ran by our friends, family, and neighbors.

Small Business Saturday provides the opportunity to support those in our communities who have helped bring people together and provide goods and services to folks in the area. At a time when we are more interconnected than ever, it’s absolutely essential that we shop and dine small to support the hardworking men, women, and families who have dedicated their lives to their businesses and our towns.

I’m always astounded by the folks I meet across North Dakota and the incredible stories they have about their leaps into entrepreneurship. So many of them put their life savings on the line, and often worked full-time while putting into motion the steps to turn an idea into action. This hard work and dedication to our communities is what makes North Dakota so great.

In addition to shopping and dining small, it’s important that North Dakota small businesses have the tools and resources they need to thrive. As a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, I’ve been working to do just that.

Last summer, I brought the head of the U.S. Small Business Administration to Fargo for the first U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship field hearing in North Dakota.

At the hearing, and during a separate meeting with successful female entrepreneurs in Bismarck about collaborative strategies to encourage and support women-owned small businesses, we spoke with local entrepreneurs about the roadblocks they often face in starting or growing their businesses. I’ve also been meeting with leaders in the startup and small business communities across the state to better understand their needs and concerns.

I introduced a bill in March 2016 that would support North Dakota entrepreneurs by providing the early state funding they need to grow their businesses — which about a third of Fargo-Moorhead startups identified as the greatest challenge to growing their business.

Small businesses are more than just the store fronts that line main street — they’re the place where neighbors and friends become family, and where folks come together to discuss and address challenges in the community.

This Saturday, throughout the holiday season, and all year long, let’s remember to keep the small businesses that represent the heart and hard work of North Dakotans in mind as we’re looking for those special gifts for our loved ones.