MONTICELLO - Business owners and professional service providers in this small Green County village are joining together to ring in the Christmas season with community spirit.
The Monticello Business and Professional Association is presenting Small Business Saturday, Nov. 24 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., a day between Black Friday and Cyber Monday dedicated to supporting small businesses during the holiday shopping season.
Last year, more than 1 million people nationwide came to "Shop Small" in their communities on Small Business Saturday, according to American Express, which started the idea.
While the main objective of Small Business Saturday is to rally support and promote local businesses, Monticello business owners are taking the community spirit a step further and giving back to their local food pantry, Green Cares, with a food drive, donations and a warming chili cook-off.
"We wanted to work on the mutual relationship with the community," giving back to the community during an otherwise frenzied shopping period, said Kathleen Grossen, acting president of the MBPA.
Hilary Hartman, public relations and marketing coordinator at Quilter's Compass LLC in Monticello, brought the Small Business Saturday to the attention of the association. Quilter's Compass has been participating in the promotional idea since 2010, when both the store and the nationwide event began, she said.
"I knew I had to have a good reason for people in business to participate," she said. "Fortunately, we keep really good records."
The difference between the store's first and second Small Business Saturday events amazed even Hartman. According to her, the number of sales at Quilter's Compass on that day in 2011 was up by 225 percent, the dollar amount of the total sales was up 460 percent and the average sale was up by 200 percent, compared to 2010.
Part of the charm of shopping local are the personal touches of the shop owners, said Hartman. It is worth the effort to visit them all.
"We get a good response from our customers. We know their names; we know their family," she said. And on Small Business Saturday, Quilter's Compass customers are treated to specials, including free homemade cookies.
"We know we can't offer you really steep discounts" like those offered on Black Friday at big department stores, Grossen said. "But there are things here you can't get at big businesses: You don't get trampled on. You don't have to look for parking spaces. You don't have to wake up really early."
Grossen and Hartman also pointed out that local businesses support other local businesses and, especially in rural areas, are dependent upon residents and each other to sustain their businesses.
"We bank locally. Our employee lives here and eats lunch at the local diner," Hartman said. "Who needs your dollar more?"
People forget about the service industries during Christmas shopping days, Grossen said, but many businesses normally closed on Saturdays have signed on for this Small Business Saturday for a simple meet-and-greet opportunity, including her own office Tri-Insure.
"Nobody is shopping for insurance for Christmas," she said. So her office is hosting an art sale, with proceeds going to Green Cares. Local photographers and high school artists are donating their projects for the cause.
"Each business has its own idea how to promote their sales, business or other aspects of the community," Grossen said.
Chili samples at nine different participating business are $1, and a portion of the proceeds go to Green Cares. Food donations to Green Cares can be dropped off at Freitag Financial Services, Gempeler's Supermarket, Quilter's Compass and Tri-Insure. A list of participating businesses and their special offers is available at www.monticello-wi.com.
The Monticello Business and Professional Association is presenting Small Business Saturday, Nov. 24 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., a day between Black Friday and Cyber Monday dedicated to supporting small businesses during the holiday shopping season.
Last year, more than 1 million people nationwide came to "Shop Small" in their communities on Small Business Saturday, according to American Express, which started the idea.
While the main objective of Small Business Saturday is to rally support and promote local businesses, Monticello business owners are taking the community spirit a step further and giving back to their local food pantry, Green Cares, with a food drive, donations and a warming chili cook-off.
"We wanted to work on the mutual relationship with the community," giving back to the community during an otherwise frenzied shopping period, said Kathleen Grossen, acting president of the MBPA.
Hilary Hartman, public relations and marketing coordinator at Quilter's Compass LLC in Monticello, brought the Small Business Saturday to the attention of the association. Quilter's Compass has been participating in the promotional idea since 2010, when both the store and the nationwide event began, she said.
"I knew I had to have a good reason for people in business to participate," she said. "Fortunately, we keep really good records."
The difference between the store's first and second Small Business Saturday events amazed even Hartman. According to her, the number of sales at Quilter's Compass on that day in 2011 was up by 225 percent, the dollar amount of the total sales was up 460 percent and the average sale was up by 200 percent, compared to 2010.
Part of the charm of shopping local are the personal touches of the shop owners, said Hartman. It is worth the effort to visit them all.
"We get a good response from our customers. We know their names; we know their family," she said. And on Small Business Saturday, Quilter's Compass customers are treated to specials, including free homemade cookies.
"We know we can't offer you really steep discounts" like those offered on Black Friday at big department stores, Grossen said. "But there are things here you can't get at big businesses: You don't get trampled on. You don't have to look for parking spaces. You don't have to wake up really early."
Grossen and Hartman also pointed out that local businesses support other local businesses and, especially in rural areas, are dependent upon residents and each other to sustain their businesses.
"We bank locally. Our employee lives here and eats lunch at the local diner," Hartman said. "Who needs your dollar more?"
People forget about the service industries during Christmas shopping days, Grossen said, but many businesses normally closed on Saturdays have signed on for this Small Business Saturday for a simple meet-and-greet opportunity, including her own office Tri-Insure.
"Nobody is shopping for insurance for Christmas," she said. So her office is hosting an art sale, with proceeds going to Green Cares. Local photographers and high school artists are donating their projects for the cause.
"Each business has its own idea how to promote their sales, business or other aspects of the community," Grossen said.
Chili samples at nine different participating business are $1, and a portion of the proceeds go to Green Cares. Food donations to Green Cares can be dropped off at Freitag Financial Services, Gempeler's Supermarket, Quilter's Compass and Tri-Insure. A list of participating businesses and their special offers is available at www.monticello-wi.com.