On November 30, the country will celebrate the fourth annual Small Business Saturday, a day when Americans support their small businesses that are such an integral part of their local economies. American Express kickstarted Small Business Saturday in 2012 in response to small businesses' need for more customers amid a lingering bad economy. The idea behind the event isn't just to have a single-day rally for local business, but to give them a leg up at the start of the holiday spending season.

Apparently, it's working. last year, U.S. consumers who participated in Small Business Saturday spent some $5.5 billion with independent, local retailers. That's a pretty big take for a single day. According to the 2012 Small Business Saturday Insights Survey, 81% of small business owners said the event was the most effective when they banded together with the community and made a larger event out of it.

To further this, American Express has started a Neighborhood Champions program, working with burinsess organizations such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American Independent Business Alliance(AMIBA), the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc., the Latino Coalition and the American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE). More than 1,000 Neighborhood Champions have signed up to promoote Small Business Saturday, and to encourage local businesses to take part in community activities attached to the event.