Small Business Saturday

Olympic Hiking Company

Small Business Saturday gives me a sweet reason to highlight my son Tommy's local tour business, Olympic Hiking Co. He began with an idea that combined the beauty of the Olympic National Park and the miles of trails he could help tourists find. He has shuttle drivers taking backpackers along the Pacific Coast, and hiking guides leading tours throughout the park’s interior. Thousands of tourists and hikers have taken home lifetime memories. Some businesses are about the experience and Olympic Hiking Co. is one of them. 


Tommy understands what a small business requires: hard work, tenacity, and the financial prowess to weather the storms--the expected and the unexpected. He's part of the 30 million independent businesses across America. Indeed, small businesses are the backbone of our nation, employing almost 60 million people. That’s a huge accomplishment for these dynamic people who choose to follow their passions, open a store, sell their crafts, offer their services, and share their lives with their communities.

The Saturday following Thanksgiving is a day we honor our local small businesses. Shop local isn’t a slogan for them, it’s their lifeline.

 


 

We all benefit by shopping local. Our community’s businesses are the ones supporting so many of our youth programs and activities. They routinely donate items for the non-profit fundraising auctions that benefit those needing help in our towns, and they pay taxes to support the community we share. Studies have shown that for each dollar spent at a small business, 67 cents stays in our community.  

 


Besides the money small business owners invest in their hometowns, they invest themselves too. They volunteer as coaches, serve on community action boards, and help bring solutions for where we live.  According to a survey by New York Enterprise Report, 33% of small business owners work more than 50 hours each work, while 25% of them work more than 60 hours. That’s commitment.

 

In a season marked by generosity, it would be such an encouragement to millions of hard-working business owners if we walked through their doors and supported them. 



Photos in order of use: Olympic Hiking Co., Arthur Franklin, Tim Mossholder.


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