Today marks the second annual Small Business Saturday. On one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year in North America, shoppers are encouraged to patronize their local stores to help suppport area businesses.

You can do your part to celebrate small businesses and to support your neighbors by shopping at your local bookshop. If you are fortunate enough to still have any independent bookstores in your area, go buy a book, or two, or three. In fact, buy a “real” book for eveyone on your holiday list this year.

Keep in mind that when you spend $100 at a local shop $68 or more stays in the local economy, but that same $100 spent at a national chain store results in less than $43 staying local. And don’t forget that buying local is really green; it can help you reduce your carbon footprint.

Related articles

• Facebook, AmEx Team Up On Small Business Saturday (allfacebook.com)
• Small Business Saturday: A Guide for Shoppers and Stores (mashable.com)
• American Express Pushes for Social Retail Bona Fides with Small Business Saturday (marketingvox.com)
• AMEX CEO touts “Small business Saturday” (cbsnews.com)