Why I am against Small Business Saturday

Don’t get me wrong I love the small and mid size independent business community. They are my world, my tribe. What I am against is big banks. Small Business Saturday is a project conceived and promoted by American Express a big bank. Some world argue if they are a bank at all, but they are considered a bank holding company (they are a major lender) and they did receive at least a $4 billion bail out from Tarp funds.

To be clear, I think Small Business Saturday is a brilliant idea. The marketer who conceived of the idea deserves a promotion. I just think Amex’s self serving promotion is lame. They are doing what the best big businesses do. They are pulling the wool over peoples eyes. There are many Non-profit groups such as Balle in my mind are far better positioned to do a credible job of something like Small Business Saturday. Although surprise, surprise its is only vast financial institution that have the funds to pull the wool over our eyes on this scale. Yes, I have hated Amex for years, I have repeatedly been screwed by them even when I had a corporate account spending many $1000′s each month. So it is true there no love of them by me. My current revilsion is more a matter of public policy and activism than it is about their past bad behavior, although that behavior makes it almost impossible to believe they are in anyway being altruistic now.Small Business saturday is about their bottom line!

Also I think small business is a confusing term. I prefer independent as an owner of an independent e-commerce website which is a vital contributor my local community.

In conclusion I actively support and encourage you shopping at the independent and probable small business be it bricks and mortar or on the internet of your choice not only tomorrow, but everyday. Just use a bank card from a small local bank or credit union and rip up your Amex card.