(Washington, DC) – Today, on National Entrepreneurs’ Day, Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD) are encouraging residents to support DC’s vibrant small business community and the entrepreneurs that power them by shopping local on Small Business Saturday, which will take place on November 25, and throughout the holiday season.
“Local entrepreneurs and businesses power DC’s economy, and no matter what you’re looking for this holiday season, you can find it at a small business right here in DC,” said Mayor Bowser. “Our local businesses are the backbone of our economy and every dollar spent supporting a small business is a boost for our city and the thousands of Washingtonians who work in small and local businesses.”
Ahead of Small Business Saturday, DSLBD has launched its annual #iBuyDC Challenge, a social media campaign to amplify and encourage support for DC’s small business community. Residents are encouraged to share their small business finds by posting their purchases on social media with the hashtag #iBuyDC and encouraging their friends, family, and followers to do the same. More information on the #iBuyDC Challenge can be found at dslbd.dc.gov/ibuydc.
“Small businesses are crucial to the success of the District's economy, and their growth is essential to our city's continued prosperity,” said Interim DSLBD Director Rosemary Suggs-Evans. “This holiday season, we can actively support the resurgence of our communities in alignment with DC's Comeback Plan.”
Residents and visitors have no shortage of options when it comes to supporting small and local businesses in Washington, DC. Just last week, Mayor Bowser opened the 19th Annual Downtown Holiday Market, which features more than 70 vendors, including 15 Black and minority-owned DC-based businesses that are part of DSLBD’s Made in DC program.
Shoppers interested in supporting small and local businesses this holiday season can also use Shop in the District, a local retail guide created by the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) and the Washington DC Economic Partnership, to find businesses in their neighborhoods they can support throughout and beyond the holiday season.
Grant programs administered through DMPED support growing DC’s small and local business community and attracting existing businesses top relocate to the District. For more information on the various grant and funding opportunities available through DMPED, visit obviouslydc.com.
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