Apoye a las empresas locales en la Semana de la Pequeña Empresa

(2 Minute Read) – It’s not an exaggeration to say that small businesses have a large impact on our local economy. In the Portland metro area, there are 43,000 small businesses that employ more than 250,000 people, according to the City of Portland. As we celebrate Small Business Week 2022, it’s a good time to remember that 70% of every dollar you spend at a neighborhood business stays in the local economy.

For more than 50 years, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has celebrated National Small Business Week the first week of May. During Small Business Week, we recognize the contributions of small business owners and their impact on our neighborhoods, local economy, and job creation.

At Unitus, we celebrate small businesses year-round with our #PDXUnites campaign on social media. We partner with Small Shops BigHearts to feature and support local small businesses. We give away gift cards to these local businesses with the goal of introducing you to new shops in your neighborhood. Unitus encourages you to #SpendLocal to keep money right here in our local communities.

Since launching the #PDXUnites campaign, Unitus has distributed more than $12,000 in gift cards to support these small businesses. Knowing that BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and women-owned businesses were disproportionately affected by COVID-19, Unitus has been very intentional about which local businesses to support. Whether a business is a member of our credit union or not, Unitus is committed to supporting them and asking our members to consider spending their money locally.

“Spending local means a lot of things to me. First off, it showcases how much pride I have for our special community with such different, unique niches. I love all of what Portland has to offer and how we put our people first,” explained AAPI-business owner Natasha Bui of Amicus Animal Rehabilitation. “It also means supporting one another in our community, to not only share our trades and expertise, but to also uplift one another so that each and every one of us are able to continue giving back to the community.”

In 2020, Unitus supported 64 local businesses through these initiatives with more than $4,000 in gift card purchases. In 2021, 63 businesses benefited from more than $7,000 in gift card purchases. The #PDXUnites campaign is just one way Unitus supports the local community and will continue to show up for our neighbors in the years to come.

Be sure to follow Unitus Community Credit Union on social media to take part in our #PDXUnites campaign. Gift card giveaways are primarily hosted on Instagram. During Small Business Week 2022, Unitus is also awarding $500 to a local business, chosen by our Instagram followers. You can recommend your favorite small business and they could win $500! We’ve also just launched a new #PDXUnites campaign on Facebook, focused solely on pop-up makers! You can support local makers, artists, and other small businesses with the giveaway that starts May 4, 2022.

There is no underestimating the significant impact small businesses have on our communities. Be sure to celebrate Small Business Week this year by visiting your favorite neighborhood shop and spending your hard-earned dollars there. Your support helps our local economy thrive!