Owners hope Small Business Saturday will aid in bounce back after pandemic

It’s Small Business Saturday, and all across Southwest Florida, business owners are hoping you’ll stop in. Many are still recovering from the financial toll the pandemic took and the struggles that come with owning a small business.

Shopping small makes a big difference to small business owners. At The Green Cup Cafe in Fort Myers, every cup and customer is what keeps Robert Podgroski’s passion alive. For him, Small Business Saturday presents a big opportunity.

“The fact that there is a day out there for consumers to go out and support their friends in the community. That’s such a gift in itself,” Podgorski said.

Just a block over, Jill Blanchard is the owner of Quartz and Clover and is showing off her small business. “There’s a desire to have connections with small businesses but also find products that are really one of a kind and unique, and I think we have the opportunity to give that to people,” Blanchard said.

Blanchard says she saw a record number of shoppers on Black Friday and hoped for the same on this Small Business Saturday. The benefits of shopping small are endless, she says.

“It’s so much more fulfilling to come in and find a piece that you really connect with than shopping online for something that you haven’t been able to hold or connect with,” said Blanchard.

For small business owners, the challenge has been not only starting the businesses but keeping customers. “I think it’s to create hype of our business and get people interested in what we’re doing,” Blanchard said.

“Supporting local businesses is what keeps the city going,” said Podgorski.

That support means the world to these business owners. Podgorski also told WINK News that he hopes to see a trend where Small Business Saturday every Saturday. He encourages everyone to shop small over the holidays season to take advantage of the great deals.