Prepping Now for Small Business Saturday 2026 and the Holiday Season

By SBE Council at 21 September, 2026, 8:13 pm

By Barbara Weltman – Small Business Saturday this year is November 28, the first Saturday after Thanksgiving (November 26). The day follows what’s come to be known as Black Friday. November 30, is Cyber Monday. All in all, small business owners and their teams have a busy extended weekend to plan for. Many small businesses report great success during the heavily-hyped shopping weekend, but successful ones are getting ready now.

The types of businesses impacted by these special days are not limited to retailers. They include, for example, restaurants, cafes, and coffee shops serving shoppers, marketers helping small businesses (e.g., local print shops used for flyers, brochures, and other marketing materials), and salons, spas, and various service businesses that sell gift certificates and products.

According to last year’s QuickBook’s Holiday Shopping Survey, 65% of small business owners said they started their planning in September. Here are some ways to begin preparations for the holiday season and make this year’s Small Business Saturday and shopping season a booming success.

Your Inventory

There is still time to identify which items you expect will be big sellers at holiday time so you can stock up appropriately. Think in terms of gift items, trends, and impulse purchases to have on hand. Can you offer any unique items?

If you sell online, you’ll want to capitalize not only on Small Business Saturday, but also Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The same inventory strategies may apply for online sales. If you use multi-channels, do you sell the same items in your store and online? (Beancount offers this helpful “to do” list, “Black Friday and Cyber Monday: A Complete Small Business Guide to the Biggest Sales Weekend”)

Your Marketing

Planning and executing your marketing strategy for Small Business Saturday is essential for driving traffic to you and capturing holiday spending dollars. The Small Business Administration characterizes this day as “one of the most important economic drivers of the year” for small businesses.

With AI tools, you can analyze past sales to best craft your Small Business Saturday actions this year—what drew customers, figuring how to discount without destroying profitability, and creating marketing content. You can also use AI tools to analyze pricing, develop marketing and branding material, conduct research, and help run your social media and email campaigns more effectively. What you can do:

Be part of the day. Ensure that you’ll be a visible part of Small Business Saturday. Display the Small Business Saturday logo and be noted on the Shop Small Map created by American Express. There are free marketing materials you can use. In addition, make sure to take advantage of your local Small Business Saturday promotional efforts and themes. Share ideas with your local chamber or town officials about how they can promote local shopping and events during the holiday season.

If relevant to your business, you can also participate in “alternative” small business days that are popping up across the country:

● Plaid Friday, which is the independent-business alternative to Black Friday in some cities and towns.

● Artists Sunday, which is for local artisans to promote their wares and is touted as Earth’s Largest Art Event. Check for 2026 activities.

Reach out to existing customers. Inform them of your holiday offerings. Ask them for referrals, recommendations, and likes.

Use social media. Create postings that will drive traffic through Instagram, Facebook, and other sites. (Read more here from the Meta Holiday Insight Center, “Getting Your Small Business Holiday-Ready: Free Insights, AI Tools, and a Playbook to Help You Grow”)

Hold off on sales. Big box stores may be conducting holiday sales during this period, but small businesses don’t necessarily need to do so too. Discount judicially to draw traffic. Instead, consider small samples, gifts, or other giveaways with purchases to amp up sales.

Conduct events. Plan now to hold events that are most appropriate for your business. Product demonstrations? Offering complimentary hot chocolate or hot cider? Consider having a holiday tasting day, perhaps featuring specialty foods, cookies or other items from local businesses (and think about how they can drive business to you). Perhaps offer free gift-wrapping during specific hours to draw in customers at times that work best for you.

Your Staffing

Think about hiring seasonal workers to help you offer the best customer service possible. Put the cost of this payroll addition into your business. ZipRecruiter says the average holiday seasonal pay in the U.S. this year is about $15.65 per hour, but the specific amount varies with location. Give yourself time to properly train these workers.

Your Technology

Be sure your POS systems and card readers are working well and consider upgrades now, so your staff is trained on how things work. Consider, for example, getting Mobile Point of Sale (mPOS) so that employees can check inventory while servicing customers in an aisle and can check them out then and there.

Conclusion

Last year, American Express found that over half of small business owners estimated that Small Business Saturday sales contribute up to 15% of their annual revenue.  Depending on the type of business, the holiday sales season can make between 25%-50% (or more) of a small business’s total yearly revenue.

What will this year’s special shopping day mean for you? Remember, Small Business Saturday is also an opportunity to build future sales and loyal customers. Be ready to ask customers for contact information or email addresses so that they can stay informed about future product or service offerings and sales events.

Prepping for a successful Small Business Saturday, as well as for other key days on the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend, comes down to planning, preparing, and promoting your activities. It’s not too late to get started!

Barbara Weltman is a member of SBE Council’s advisory board, and has been a leading consultant for small businesses of every kind for over twenty years. She is the founder of Big Ideas for Small Business® and has written numerous books on small business operations, including J.K. Lasser’s Small Business Taxes, Smooth Failing, and Home Business Magazine’s Home-Based Business Guide. Follow Barbara on Twitter @BigIdeas4SB.