Small Business Saturday promotion gives local shoppers a chance to win prizes

WORLAND – With Thanksgiving now just a memory, it's time to shift gears for the upcoming holiday season. Many people head out to larger communities or fill their shopping carts online to take advantage of advertised steals and deals. To encourage people to save the gas and shut off the computer both the Worland-Ten Sleep Chamber of Commerce and the Thermopolis-Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce are offering huge incentives starting today, Small Business Saturday, to shop locally instead.

Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration Linda McMahon said, "Small Business Saturday is about supporting local businesses and creating jobs in communities all across America. Shopping small this Saturday is the perfect opportunity for Americans to support their local community businesses and promote growth and vitality to America's booming economy during this holiday season and throughout the coming year."

WORLAND AREA

Starting today through 4 p.m. Dec. 2 people who shop at participating Washakie County businesses have a chance to be entered into a drawing. "For the whole week if you spend $20 or more at a participating local business your name gets thrown into a drawing for the stockings filled with gift certificates and small items donated by local businesses. The drawing will be Dec. 2 in Pioneer Square before the Parade of Lights," Deb Larkin said. According to the Worland-Ten Sleep Chamber of Commerce, $1,000 in gift certificates have been donated and first-, second- and third-place prizes will be drawn with the three places receiving a portion of the gift certificates.

THERMOPOLIS AREA

Small Business Saturday in Thermopolis offers a variety of events for shoppers buying local. According to the Thermopolis-Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce Facebook page consumers who take a selfie at participating businesses and post that selfie on the Main Street Thermopolis Facebook page have a chance at winning a 2017 Christmas ornament or chamber bucks.

There will also be a scavenger hunt encompassing all participating businesses where consumers must find a sheet of paper in each business that has a code written on it. Once found the hunters only need to write the code down on their scavenger hunt sheet. After the sheet is completed and turned in, participants have a chance at winning a 2017 Christmas ornament or chamber bucks.

Mr. and Mrs. Clause will be at Hazel-N-Pearls at 4 p.m. today and the snow king and queen will be announced at the same time.

The Thermopolis-Hot Springs Chamber is also offering a chance to win a 32 inch Samsung Smart TV HDMI, a Night Hawk Hexacopter Drone with wifi camera and a Roku Express. To qualify consumers who shop at participating businesses from Nov. 25 – Dec. 19 will receive one ticket for every $100 spent. On Small Business Saturday two tickets will be received for every $100 spent. To enter the drawing consumers need to bring their receipts to the Thermopolis-Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce no later than 5 p.m. on Dec. 19. The drawing will be held Dec. 21 during the meet and greet at the Pinnacle Bank in Thermopolis.

Shopping locally this year is filled with incentives and also helps keep communities thriving. "Small businesses are the engine of our national economy. We now have in the United States about 30 million small businesses. About half of all American workers are either employed by a small business or own a small business. And two out of three new jobs are created by small business. Those are pretty powerful and compelling statistics," said McMahon. "One of my goals in leading the U.S. Small Business Administration is to revitalize a sense of entrepreneurship in America. We want entrepreneurs to feel confident taking a risk on starting or expanding their small businesses. 

"Everyone wants businesses to grow and for people to be employed. Shopping small on November 25 supports these men and women who create the foundation for strong, successful small businesses," she added.