After Black Friday comes Small Business Saturday, and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is encouraging shoppers to invest in their communities this holiday season. 

Hochul's office says businesses with fewer than 100 employees make up 98% of businesses statewide and employ nearly 40% of the workforce. 

"Every time we choose a local shop, restaurant, or service provider, we're investing in our neighbors and our neighborhoods," the governor said in a statement Friday. "As the daughter of a small business owner, I know the long hours, hard work, and heart that go into running a family business. Small Business Saturday is a reminder that our local enterprises aren't just places to shop, they're engines of opportunity and cornerstones of community. This holiday season, I encourage New Yorkers to shop small and help keep our main streets thriving."

New York's small business economy

Hochul's office said approximately 81% of the state's more than 70,000 retail stores are independently owned, and 7.35% of small businesses are retailers. 

The retail sector generated $507 billion in sales in 2024, and retail stores collected $20.3 billion in state sales tax, according to the governor's office. 

Retail workers across the state earn an average of $971 a week, "underscoring the industry's essential role in supporting jobs, household income, and local economic growth," the governor's office said. 

Ways to support small businesses

Hochul's office shared the following tips for supporting local businesses year round:

• Shop at independently owned retailers and other service providers in your community.
• Buy gift cards from local businesses; upfront sales encourage future visits.
• Find unique, locally made gifts and seasonal foods at farmers' markets.
• Shop the state's Taste.NY.gov website for products from farms and artisans. 
• Eat at neighborhood restaurants and cafés.
• Share your experiences on social media and review sites.
• When returning items, opt for store credit to keep money circulating locally.

Shop Small Astoria Retail Crawl expected to give Queens businesses a much-needed boost

In Queens, a group of merchants is teaming up for a special storefront crawl to celebrate Small Business Saturday and lift each other up.

Nicole Panettieri, owner of The Brass Owl Boutique, created the Shop Small Astoria Retail Crawl 11 years ago. It's since grown to 27 businesses, where neighbors can shop to win a prize.

"I thought how fun would that be, if we made more of an event out of it to reward people and thank them," Panettieri said.  

Some say this year's crawl is more important than ever.

"The last year, with the economy and tariffs, has been extremely tough for small businesses," Panettieri said.

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, small business owners expect nearly 20% of the entire year's revenue to come from Small Business Saturday sales alone.

At Pancake Record Shop, the crawl is not only about connecting with customers but also with other business owners.

"There's so much support that everybody feeds each other," shop owner AJ Pacheco said. "To me, that's what I was looking for with opening a little small business, is to get to really feel like you're a part of something."

"We are people that live in the neighborhood, work in your neighborhood, are supporting the PTA, supporting the sports teams," Panettieri said. "You don't need to go online. You don't need to go into the city. We have so much to offer here in Astoria."