ENTERPRISE, Ala. (WDHN) — On Friday, Mayor William E. Cooper signed a proclamation declaring Saturday, Nov. 25 as the the 14th annual ‘Enterprise Small Business Saturday.’

“Small businesses are the backbone of our community,” Mayor William E. Cooper said. “The people that own and work in these businesses are our next-door neighbors, sit in the pew with us at church, and are in the school pick-up line. They live and work in Enterprise and we want to do all we can to help them succeed.”

Small Business Saturday was founded by American Express in 2010 to encourage people to celebrate and support small businesses in the local community. The 2022 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey released by American Express found 72% of shoppers strongly agree that shopping small throughout the holiday season impacts their local community. The study also found that $0.68 of every dollar spent at a small business in the United States stays in the local community.

“The small business owners in Enterprise actively perpetuate the open and competitive marketplace so vital to our city,” Cooper said.

The City of Progress holiday shopping season is underway. Downtown Enterprise is hosting a ‘Who-liday Open House’ on Saturday, Nov. 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Westgate Shopping Center is hosting the annual Christmas Open House on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Enterprise Chamber of Commerce is also encouraging shoppers to support small businesses through a spin on the popular game Monopoly. “Shop localopoly” encourages patrons to shop at participating local businesses for a chance to win prizes.