KTVB Boise (November 2017) – The long hours. The hard work. The aching back and feet! These are the hardships of Boise’s small business owners, the backbone of our local economy.

So, for Small Business Saturday (Nov. 25), Boise’s “Small Biz Support Squad” celebrated some of their partnered local businesses. Amy Hecht traveled through town to surprise local owners with balloons and stress-relieving gifts to thank small businesses for everything they do for our community – create jobs, provide goods and services and keep our local economy chugging through good times and bad.

American Express started Small Business Saturday in 2010 to honor small business owners in thousands of communities across the country.   In just seven years, the annual event has blossomed into a hyperlocal phenomenon as more than 112 million American shoppers helped local businesses generate more than $15.4 billion on Small Business Saturday in 2016.

Boise is a perfect place to celebrate Small Business Saturday as brave entrepreneurs  work tirelessly to build reliable businesses in their community.

Forbes has recently named Boise as the 11^th fastest-growing city in America. The area’s population grew 1.83 percent in 2016, with a projected growth of 1.69 percent in 2017. In 2015, Boise made the top 10 cities for millennial entrepreneurs by Fast Company, coming in at number 2, and was ranked first on USAToday.com’s list of America’s 50 best cities to live in.

Watch both KTVB Boise clips below for full story.