Small Business Saturday. Now in its third year, Small Business Saturday takes place this year on Nov. 24, the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The event is sponsored by American Express, and its aim is to encourage cardholders to shop locally for the holidays. Cardholders can sign up on the Small Business Saturday Facebook page (facebook.com/shopsmall) to get a $25 credit on your AmEx statement if you spend $25 or more at a participating business. You can also sign up for alerts on contests and special savings. Look for the map on ShopSmall.com to help you find stores in your area.

Cash mobs. You’ve probably heard of a flash mob: a one-time event promoted by social media where people show up in a public space to do something all together. Usually it’s something silly, like doing dance moves in a mall or having a giant group pillow fight. But in a cash mob, individuals, or civic groups choose a time and a business or business district as the place, promoting the event on Facebook and twitter. Then on the designated day, “cash mobbers” show up to shop. At a cash mob in Portland, Maine, business owners Andy and Lisa-Marie Stewart saw about 60 people spend $1,100 in 25 minutes in their shop, Lisa-Marie’s Made in Maine. Check CashMob.com for events in your area or for info on hosting your own. For more information, visit ShopSmartMag.org/.