Tomorrow is Small Business Saturday! Support your local community and shop small, preferably here in Big Sur!

So many wonderful ways to support the local Big Sur economy, small businesses, artisans., and non-profits by shopping locally, stopping by the Annual Arts & Crafts Fair at The Grange for one-of-a-kind items and if down on the South Coast, stop by The Hermitage and shop at their lovely gift shop. Our community is teeming with great small businesses that offer wonderful opportunities to start your Holiday shopping adventures.

The History of Small Business in America

(From the U.S. Department of State)

“Americans have always believed they live in a land of opportunity, where anybody who has a good idea, determination, and a willingness to work hard can start a business and prosper. In practice, this belief in entrepreneurship has taken many forms, from the self-employed individual to the global conglomerate.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the public extolled the pioneer who overcame great hardships to carve a home and a way of life out of the wilderness. In 19th-century America, as small agricultural enterprises rapidly spread across the vast expanse of the American frontier, the homesteading farmer embodied many of the ideals of the economic individualist. But as the nation’s population grew and cities assumed increased economic importance, the dream of being in business for oneself evolved to include small merchants, independent craftsmen, and self-reliant professionals.

Today, the American economy boasts a wide array of enterprises, ranging from one-person sole proprietorships to some of the world’s largest corporations. In 1995, there were 16.4 million non-farm, sole proprietorships, 1.6 million partnerships, and 4.5 million corporations in the United States — a total of 22.5 million independent enterprises.”