Nick Barbian, owner and operator of Big River Market, has always known the ups and downs that come with owning a small business.
In July, Barbian opened a grocery store called the “Pandemic Project” at 516 Tennessee Street. A pop-up building in the city center. Big River Market offers coffee, frozen meals, fast food, a variety of beer and wine, and small groceries.
“Ninety-nine out of 100 days I’ve been here, I leave happier than when I came in, and in many ways it’s the teams and customers I meet every day that remind me of the good things, even when I see we have a lot of room to grow,” Barbian said. “It’s very challenging.”
Barbian is excited to be a part of this weekend’s Small Business First Saturday event. November 26 marks the 13th annual Small Business Saturday, which falls between Black Friday and Cyber Monday and marks the start of the holiday season for independent retailers and restaurants.
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American Express Cabbage, which promotes Small Business Saturday, released its first Small Business Holiday Report earlier this month, tracking key trends among small businesses in America ahead of the holiday season.
A survey of 550 small business executives who participated in the study found that 53% of small businesses plan to adjust their budgets for additional vacation expenses. Small businesses were surveyed as the best way to prepare their workforce for vacation (32%) by offering vacation bonuses to existing and new employees.
“Small businesses understand the importance of successful shipping this year,” said Brett Sussman, vice president of sales and marketing for American Express Cabbags, in a statement. As this festival is approaching, they are making the necessary preparations and adjustments to win the festival.
Barbian is proud to offer the offerings of Big River Market, including Vice and Virtue, to many other small businesses that serve as the store’s coffee beans. Other local businesses are also available, such as Raw Girls and Bain BBQ and Bakery.
“Our goal is to grow and help our partners grow with us,” Barbian said.
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Clark Butcher founded Victory Bicycle Studio, 2549 Broad Ave., in 2010, and his small business has grown over the past 12 years, especially as the Covid-19 pandemic has boosted interest in the sport.
Butcher says it’s the worst Saturday of the year at Victory Bike Studios, despite the fact that it’s making significant moves to online and email advertising to get consumers’ attention ahead of Small Business Saturday.
He urged those who want to shop locally to do so regularly and choose local stores over established brands whenever possible.
“I don’t want someone to feel like they have a local store because it’s a small Saturday business,” Butcher said. “I want people who want to buy local products every day.”
Omar Youssef covers the Ford project in Heywood County, residential real estate and tourism for commercial appeal. He can be reached at Omer.Yusuf@commercialappeal.com or follow him on Twitter @OmerAYusuf.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Business Appeal: Small Business Saturday 2022: How Memphis
