INDUSTRY CITY — The Brooklyn Made Store at Industry City hosted a “Meet the Makers” event on Small Business Saturday, a day that encourages shoppers to patronize brick and mortar businesses that are small and local.  

First observed in 2010, Small Business Saturday, which was created by American Express, is a counterpart to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which feature big box retail and e-commerce stores respectively. The marketing initiative is always the last Saturday in November, falling between Nov. 24 and Nov. 30.

The Brooklyn Made event was held on Saturday, Nov. 30, and encouraged customers to meet local makers and buy their products. The event amped up the energy with holiday activities, including a tree lighting and Christmas caroling. 

Randy Peers, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, told the Brooklyn Eagle that small businesses are the backbone of communities.

“This is a day to celebrate that and show love and support for small business owners,” Peers said. “You have to be very intentional if you are a consumer and want to support the smaller guys, because we are in a time where we can just point click and ship, and you can get it by tomorrow. That has been the challenge. Small businesses matter so much, and they create so many jobs in our community.” 

Local makers like Bobbi Rose Jewelry, Harissa Hot Honey and Kemushi Sauces utilized the opportunity to exhibit their unique, locally made products at “Meet the Makers” and connect with their customers in-person, something that cannot be experienced with e-commerce or big box retailers. 

“Small Business Saturday reminds me that I don’t just have a hobby, which it feels like sometimes, because I so love doing it,” Simone Sullivan, owner of Bobbi Rose Jewelry, a Brooklyn-based jewelry maker, said. “I have a business, and I get to impact other people with my gift. But just because it’s small doesn’t mean it isn’t as impactful as a larger operation.” 

Harissa Hot Honey co-founder and CEO Walid Mrabet, pointed out that today is “a very big deal.”

Kemushi Sauces co-founder Christina Wu, who sells handmade sushi sauces, explained that Small Business Saturday is all about community. “You rely on the kindness of people in the community to build a network and get that support system,” Wu said.  

A small business is defined as one with fewer than 100 employees. This accounts for 98% of the 200,000 businesses in New York City. Brooklyn stands out by generating around 40% of all jobs within the borough, which is significantly higher than the city and state average for small business employment. 

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