Shop Local in Tosa on Small Business Saturday

About 100 small businesses in Wauwatosa are participating in Small Business Saturday. Find them here and visit them soon.

Shop Local in Tosa on Small Business Saturday

Just what is Small Business Saturday, and why should you support it in Wauwatosa?

Big name national retailers, and Wauwatosa has plenty of them, take the spotlight on Black Friday as their deep price cuts pull in shoppers in droves. On Cyber Monday, online sellers lure buyers out of their communities all together and onto the Internet for bargains. But what about those mom-and-pop businesses all over Wauwatosa and beyond that are the backbone of America’s economy? Just when do they get their day? That’s basically the question that was asked back in 2010 when the concept of Small Business Saturday was born. Small Business Saturday is “a day to celebrate and support small businesses and all they do for their communities,” the U.S. Small Business Administration explains on its website. American Express gets the credit for …

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Kleefisch: Wisconsin's Ready for Small Business Progress

Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch encourages small business owners to join Small Business Summit.

On Thursday, Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch delivered the weekly radio address titled Small Business Summit. The following is the transcript from her address: Hi I’m Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch. This week marks the end of October as National Manufacturing Month.  You probably already know we lead the nation in making cheese, and you definitely know the Packers will always be at the top. But did you know that Wisconsin still ranks first among the 50 states in manufacturing jobs per capita?  That’s right! And we’re making strides to improve our business climate and improve our workforce to make Wisconsin even better for manufacturers, other small businesses, and our great citizens.  We’re doing this by listening to you.  At last year’s…

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'Lady in Red' Resale Shop Founded on Fashion

LaDonna Telford is taking her love of shopping and passion for fashionable clothes to the logical extent – opening her dream shop on North Avenue.

  A new shop coming to North Avenue is about one woman's love of fashion, and of shopping, and of sharing her frugal finds with the world. Her first business venture, Lady in Red resale shop, is a celebration of her belief that anyone can dress well and look good – really good – without spending a fortune. LaDonna Telford is never impressed when people tell her how much they paid for shoes or a dress. She's proud to say how little she paid. "I'm just the best shopper," Telford said. "If somebody tells me, 'Oh, I paid $150 for these boots,' I'm like, 'Well, I got these $150 boots for $50, how about that?'" Telford piles coupons on top of discounts on top of sales until she's walking out with a wardrobe for pennies on the retail dollar. Her …

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Black Friday Rather Low Key at Area Small Businesses

Locally owned shops were relatively tame on the biggest shopping day of the year, but they're hoping things will pick up on Small Business Saturday.

Strolling through The Village of Wauwatosa and The Plaza shopping center in Brookfield on Friday morning, one thing was noticeable. It wasn’t the obscene amount of pushy shoppers fighting for the best deals, but rather the lack of people out and about. Still, there were a few locals who decided to ditch the big deals and big stores for a more low-key way to shop on Black Friday. Karen Wilman-Salituro, owner of Go Green in The Village, said business in Wauwatosa is great, but with all the great deals at the chain stores and mall on  Black Friday, people are shopping there first. “We definitely have to compete with Black Friday,” Salituro said. “But after this day, business will go back to normal.” More of the same was found in Brookfield, …

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Wauwatosa Merchants Hope to Benefit from Small Business Saturday

New boutique in East Tosa is the latest to join the ranks of locally owned independent businesses.

With the busiest shopping season here, local businesses are hoping to get a boost from a national movement encouraging consumers to shop local. This Saturday marks the second annual Small Business Saturday. Throughout the nation, the number of locally owned businesses declined from 59 percent in 1990 to 48 percent in 2009, according to a report conducted by American Express OPEN. To help more small businesses keep their doors open, American Express is offering incentives to people who shop local on Saturday. Card members who spend $25 or more at qualifying small businesses can earn a $25 statement credit. More than 2 million people “like” the national event’s Facebook page and have joined the movement. Med McKenna, executive director of …

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