BY SANDY JONES
Director
Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce
The holiday shopping season is always critical to our local small businesses. This year’s Small Business Saturday is Nov. 30 and will bring much-needed focus to our local small businesses.
Below are some of the activities happening around Los Alamos for Small Business Saturday:
Blue Bucks Promotion – Thanks to Enterprise Bank & Trust, our Blue Bucks Sponsor, we are able to offer this award-winning Blue Bucks Promotion, which will run from Friday, Nov. 29 through Saturday, Dec. 14. Shopping or eating at participating businesses will give you a chance to win great cash and gift card prizes, courtesy of Enterprise Bank & Trust! There will be (1) $1,000 cash prize, (1) $500 cash prize, (1) $250 cash prize, and many gift certificates or merchandise from participating businesses!
New this year, each participating business will have one entry in a separate drawing to receive $1,000! The best part is that there are no more tickets to fill out each time someone makes a purchase! We are going digital. Customers just click on the QR code they see posted at the business, and then fill in the information requested. It is easy to upload the receipt, and then that’s it! If buyers are concerned about their privacy, they can black out sensitive information on the receipt and leave the name of the business, the time and date stamp and the total purchase amount, prior to uploading the photo.
Participating businesses and organizations will be highlighted in the print edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post Small Business Saturday Special Section that comes out on Wednesday, Nov. 27, and will also be highlighted through social media.
Holiday Shopping Guide – The Los Alamos MainStreet and Creative District, and the Chamber will again be producing the Los Alamos Holiday Shopping Guide, brought to you by Del Norte Credit Union. The Holiday Shopping Guide highlights unique products or services that you can purchase right here in town! The shopping guide will also be published in the Los Alamos Daily Post Small Business Saturday Special Section.
Small Business Saturday Tax Holiday – Don’t forget that Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, is also once again a New Mexico Gross Receipts Tax Holiday on tangible purchases, but not food and beverage. For this one day, the state suspends the collection of gross receipts tax on sales of qualifying items at certain small businesses. Plan to get your holiday shopping done locally on that day! For more information visit: https://www.tax.newmexico.gov/news-alerts/small-business-saturday-tax-holiday/
So why settle for just one day? Support our local businesses this holiday season. Remember: Shop Small to Win Big! Small Business Saturday is not just a promotion for Chamber members or businesses located in the MainStreet district. Any brick-and-mortar retail business located in Los Alamos County should participate in this free promotion!
For more information or to sign up to participate, visit the Los Alamos Chamber site (https://losalamoschamber.chambermaster.com/events/) or contact Sandy Jones at sandy@losalamos.org, 505.661.4807 or Megan Bucklin at megan@losalamos.org, (505) 661-4816.
About Los Alamos Chamber Commerce: The Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce is a program of Los Alamos Commerce & Development Corporation (LACDC); a private, not-for-profit economic and community development organization serving the Los Alamos area since 1983. LACDC serves as the umbrella organization for the Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce, Los Alamos MainStreet, Los Alamos Creative District, Discover Los Alamos, Los Alamos Small Business Center, projectY cowork Los Alamos, Los Alamos Research Park and LEEP (Lab-Embedded Entrepreneur Program).