According to the American Express website, Small Business Saturday was started by the financial company in 2010. The first Small Business Saturday was Nov. 27 of that year. In 2011, the U.S. Senate unanimously made the day official. The day celebrates small businesses and encourages supporting them and how they impact communities.

For every $100 spent at a local business, roughly $68 stays in the local economy, according to Governor Whitmer's office. Small businesses make up over 98% of the state's businesses, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. As of 2022, there are 911,914 small business in Michigan.

Small Business Saturday focuses on small business during the holiday shopping season.