Hernandez and Little Village Chamber of Commerce Encourage Local Residents to Participate in Small Businesses Saturday

CHICAGO – With the holiday shopping season around the corner, state Rep. Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez, D-Cicero, is encouraging local residents to celebrate and support locally owned, small businesses on Small Business Saturday this Nov. 25.

“Small, locally owned businesses are the bedrock of our community,” Hernandez said. “So as we approach the holidays, it’s important to keep them in mind when buying holiday gifts for our friends and family. I encourage everyone to support businesses in our neighborhoods so that local dollars remain in our community rather than go to a multinational corporation.”

Hernandez represents the Little Village neighborhood’s business corridor, 26th Street, which features approximately 500 local businesses, including butcher shops, pharmacies and more than 100 restaurants. This corridor is the second highest grossing commercial corridor in Chicago, generating approximately $900 million in sales in 2011.

Small Business Saturday was established in 2010 as an annual event to encourage holiday shoppers to patronize small, local businesses. Small Business Saturday follows Black Friday, and calls on residents to support these businesses through the course of their holiday shopping. According to the American Independent Business Alliance, every dollar spent at a small business can bring $3.50 into the local economy, which is why Hernandez is encouraging residents to shop locally.

“Small businesses are what make the economy of our communities grow,” Executive Director of the Little Village Chamber of Commerce, Jaime di Paulo said. “It is essential to support our community’s small businesses, they employ our neighbors and create wealth in our community.”