Tester pushes ‘Small Business Saturday’ as holidays near

Senator encourages Montanans to shop local this holiday season

(Big Sandy, Mont.) – Senator Jon Tester is encouraging Montanans to shop local this holiday season.

Tester recently joined his Senate colleagues in passing a resolution naming Saturday, November 29 ‘Small Business Saturday.’ Small Business Saturday is an initiative to increase awareness of the contributions small businesses make to the nation’s economy and the jobs they create.

According to the U.S. Small Businesses Administration, as of 2012, small businesses nationwide created 64 percent of net new private-sector jobs.

Montana has the highest entrepreneurial activity rate of any state in the nation according to the Kauffman Foundation’s Index of Entrepreneurial Activity.

“Montanans start more small businesses than folks in any other state,” Tester said. “These businesses create jobs and are the backbone of our rural economies. As we shop for our friends and family this holiday season, I encourage folks to shop local this Saturday and beyond.”

Tester is a long-standing supporter of rural and small businesses, sponsoring the Small Business Access to Capital Act, chairing the Senate Small Distillery Caucus and hosting 14 Small Business Opportunity Workshops.

A copy of the Senate’s ‘Small Business Saturday’ resolution is available online HERE.