SMALL BUSINESS

COLLEGE PARK, Fla. — Saturday marks Small Business Saturday, the day after Black Friday that focuses on buying from vendors in the community. In Orange County, people are trying to promote small businesses, which are still struggling post-pandemic. Read: FusionFest returns to Downtown Orlando this weekendBut in College Park, support for small businesses is a top priority. Employee Wendy Sarcinella said the turnout is a relief, as small businesses make up the community. “The small businesses are the heart of the community, and without small businesses, College Park and other small towns wouldn’t have the flavor and the atmosphere that it currently has,” she said.

It all comes at you so quickly: One minute, you’re making grocery lists and setting the menu for Thanksgiving, and then, in the blink of an eye, the holiday has arrived, only to be followed by Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday -- and then your tree goes up and Christmas morning is here.

Instead of completely stepping out from under a corporate umbrella, they looked at franchising. In the months after the pandemic hit, many people with corporate jobs decided to strike out on their own, in what’s referred to as the “Great Resignation." But franchising has plenty of challenges, too. “It was appealing at this stage after being in corporate jobs for 20-plus years that we could plug into an existing model,” Dordell said. “They’ve really abandoned the brand.”As with any business venture, franchisees need to be aware of what they’re getting themselves into.

Just months before its 100th anniversary, Little Drug Company, a staple hometown pharmacy and fountain in New Smyrna Beach is closing its doors for good.

And they’re hoping that shortages at bigger stores stemming from supply chain issues this year will lead to a burst of last-minute shopping in their stores. So far, worries about omicron and rising cases haven't made a measurable dent on holiday shopping. Small retailers are hoping they can capture some of the expected growth in holiday sales. That’s put pressure on the global supply chain, leaving business owners scrambling to stock up on the products consumers want. The store’s social advertising leading up to Christmas is communicating: “We have stock, we’ve got you covered.”Copyright 2021 The Associated Press.

Days after Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday, comes Giving Tuesday. But what is Giving Tuesday and how can you help those who need it? >> Read more trending newsAccording to GivingTuesday.org, the day is a “worldwide celebration of generosity” and a time where people can work together through “acts of kindness and giving their voice, time, money, goods, and advocacy.”So what are ways you can help? Giving Tuesday doesn’t necessarily mean you have to give money. For an idea of different ways in which you can participate, Giving Tuesday’s website can connect you with organizations and movements.

This year, more business groups are going into Small Business Saturday as a unified force.

A stretch of stores along the base of Munjoy Hill had open signs out and were ready for business as part of small business Saturday, November 28, 2015. This could be foreboding news for small business owners who are counting on holiday sales to recoup sagging revenues. While shoppers may be curbing spending in 2020, the CNBC/SurveyMonkey survey revealed that 30% of shoppers plan to patronize a small business on Small Business Saturday. Strategies in the Covid economyConsidering the many challenges small business owners face, experts give tips on how they can drive sales during this key shopping day. Gary Huether Jr., president and CEO, Arooga's Grille House & Sports Bar hopes Small Business Saturday sales will boost revenues.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. – Shop owners spent Thursday afternoon prepping for the "Takin It to the Streets" event. Signs were plastered on pillars to remind folks, that come 5 p.m., cars will be replaced with more than 50 local merchants on Canal Street. Liz Jones owns Nature In Beauty and she's also the President of the Canal Street Historic District who organized the event. Her handmade beads and antique shop called Halos And Dreams has sat on Canal Street for 20 years. We need their help and we need the help of people to shop small shops," said Suit.

Orange County to hand out PPE to small businessesPublished: May 10, 2020, 7:00 pmOrange County is preparing to hand out one million masks and 200,000 bottles of hand sanitizer to small businesses in an effort to help them reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic.

FILE PHOTO: Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin discusses details for economic relief during the daily coronavirus response briefing as Small Business (SBA) Administrator Jovita Carranza listens at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 2, 2020. REUTERS/Tom Brenner/File PhotoWASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Sunday that senior Republicans and Democrats in Congress are close to reaching agreement on a new coronavirus response bill. I think were very close to a deal today and Im hopeful we can get that done, Mnuchin said in an interview with CNN.

President Obama, along with daughters Sasha and Malia, visit local stores Upshur Street Books and Pleasant Pops in Washington, D.C. on a holiday shopping trip the Saturday after Thanksgiving