BERLIN – The town received a nationwide recognition for its efforts to promote Small Business Saturday.
Berlin was one of 16 municipalities recognized on Dec. 19 through Main Street America’s Small Business Saturday Neighborhood Champion Innovation Contest. The contest aimed to celebrate towns with the most creative efforts to bring in business on Small Business Saturday, the November initiative that encourages shoppers to buy local.
“They really liked what we were doing,” said Ivy Wells, the town’s economic and community development director.
Wells said Main Street America asked all the Main Street programs in the country for contest submissions. She said her submission on behalf of Berlin outlined the Small Business Saturday promotions the town always offers, such as carriage rides and holiday activities, as well as things that were new this year.
“Small Business Saturday is one of our busiest days here,” she said. “We try to offer something for everyone and something unique that sets Berlin apart from everyone else.”
In addition to the always-popular free carriage rides, Wells told Main Street America about the glass ornaments shoppers could make at Jeffrey Auxer Designs and the antique printing press Garrett Neeb had set up for Christmas card making as well as the North Pole mailbox where children can mail their letters to Santa and the merchants’ gingerbread house contest. She also described the array of made-in-Berlin products featured at local shops.
“You can find something made here in almost all of our shops,” she said. “You can’t find that on Amazon.”
Main Street America named Tybee Island’s Main Street program the overall winner in the Small Business Saturday contest but named Berlin as one of the 15 programs that won a $500 gift card in recognition of their efforts.
“They just liked our whole package,” Wells said. “We were very flattered we received this national recognition.”
