By now everyone has eaten their fill for Thanksgiving, been big boxed and mauled on Black Friday and are loosening up their fingers for Cyber Monday. Did you know that yesterday was Small Business Saturday?

Conceived by American Express a year ago, this was the second year of the promotion which encouraged people to shop small and visit the small businesses in their area.

To sweeten the deal, American Express offered a $25 credit to your AMEX account if you registered your card on the Small Business Saturday facebook page and then made a $25 or greater purchase with your card at a participating small business on Saturday.

According to the Small Business Saturday facebook page, hundreds of thousands of people showed their support by becoming a fan of the page and/or registering their cards. Here at Gemstone Creations we registered our cards and made purchases with them at participating Fredericksburg area businesses. We quickly received notification of our statement credits.

Small businesses, like Gemstone Creations, have been the backbone of our nation’s economy for hundreds of years. Whether you stop in to see us or not this holiday season, we hope that you will take the time to include small businesses throughout the Fredericksburg area in your shopping plans, now and throughout the year.

Also, try to remember to check on Small Business Saturday next year as Thanksgiving approaches. It’s a great way to try a new store or restaurant and shop local.