It’s always been in the shadow of the hustle and bustle that is Black Friday.

Far less heralded is it even than Cyber Monday, which is known for deals galore.

Yet, despite being sandwiched in between those much ballyhooed days, it’s managed to carve out a niche all its own.

Small Business Saturday encourages consumers to shop local during this, one of the busiest shopping periods of the year.

The concept began several years ago as a means to encourage residents to support the local businesses in their communities.

First observed in 2010, the event was created by American Express as part of a partnership.

As consumers, we can do our part to ensure the small businesses in our communities thrive.

This can be achieved if we make our minds up to shop and dine at our local businesses.

Now, I’ve certainly been known to dine out a time or two, or three or four, so I’ve got that aspect covered.

We’re fortunate in that our area boasts a stable of quality restaurants to whet our appetites.

Though certainly not as prevalent as they once were, there are still some quaint little shops out there.

Provided, of course, that there are those of us who still actually physically shop inside stores due to the popularity of Amazon.

The website paysimple.com offers 10 preparation tips for small-business owners to ensure their Small Business Saturday approach proves fruitful.

• Prepare your staff.

• Prepare your store.

• Understand your unique selling proposition.

• Plan a promotion.

• Partner with other businesses.

• Create a Small Business Saturday marketing strategy.

• Create marketing materials.

• Get social and create excitement.

• Create raving fans.

• Leverage your Small Business Saturday success.

It’s no secret a good many of us will still flock to the big box stores and dine in at nearby restaurants.

But, in between those excursions, we should all try to set aside time and funds to help support our local small businesses.

After all, they are the heart of our local communities, and offer a unique shopping experience you won’t get at the larger megastores.

The one-on-one interaction and customer care these little treasure troves offer are a rare commodity in this ever-changing society we live in.

That alone makes them priceless.