Whether you’re looking for the perfect gift or planning for a family get-together, the holidays are a busy, and sometimes stressful, time of year. The holiday season is an especially important time for our small businesses, so I encourage everyone to support locally-owned stores and shops.

New York State’s economy relies on small businesses, which provide 2.7 million jobs and nearly $127 billion a year in wages and salaries for their employees. If we all do even a small amount of our holiday shopping locally, we can boost our economy and keep our friends and neighbors in business.

Small business is the cornerstone of our Central New York economy as businesses with less than 20 workers represent more than three-quarters of the total employers in our area. That means the continued success of our local businesses will help our economy thrive for generations to come.

 SyracuseFirst, a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening the community of small businesses in our area, offers a directory of local businesses to add to your holiday shopping list at their website (syracusefirst.org/directory). I also urge everyone to follow their “10 percent shift” campaign to put crucial dollars back into our region and help us build a more sustainable local economy.

And for local business owners looking for support and resources, I encourage you to check out the Syracuse district of the U.S. Small Business Administration at its website, sba.gov/offices/district/ny/syracuse.

So as you spend quality time with your friends and family in the coming weeks, please remember the local businesses that are crucial to our economy — and buy local.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns about this or any other community issue, please contact me at 452-1115 or at [email protected].