Each year, the Watertown Area Chamber of Commerce joins the Shop Small movement by rallying the community to support small, local businesses.

American Express launched Small Business Saturday in 2010, and the day became official in 2011. Held on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, Small Business Saturday is now a holiday shopping tradition.

The Watertown Area Chamber of Commerce is proud to be one of nearly 3,000 neighborhood champions across the nation that inspires their communities to shop small. American Express provides the neighborhood champions with promotional materials and marketing tools to share with local small business owners, empowering them to take charge of the day and attract more customers.

You might not realize it, but every time you pick up a cup of coffee from your favorite neighborhood cafe or buy a gift from a local artist's online store, you're shopping small and making a difference.

We encourage all local small business owners to go to americanexpress.com to learn more.

And everyone should be sure to check out Small Business Saturday on facebook, where shopping small is BIG!