UPDATED: Shop Local on Small Business Saturday

Find out what special deals, hours and treats will be available as you stock up on holiday gifts and goodies for yourself in Berkley and Huntington Woods!

Editor's note: This article will be updated throughout the day as we hear about deals and freebies on Small Business Saturday in Berkley and Huntington Woods. Leave a comment and upload your photos to this story to share your discoveries! Big-name national retailers take the spotlight on Black Friday as their deep price cuts attract shoppers in droves, but when do small businesses like the ones in Berkley and Huntington Woods that are the backbone of America’s economy get their day? That’s basically the question that was asked back in 2010 when the concept of Small Business Saturday was born. Small Business Saturday is “a day to celebrate and support small businesses and all they do for their communities,” the U.S. Small Business …

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Best Black Friday Deals at Target, Walmart and More

Patch has compiled the best big box discounts to give bargain hunters a leg up on the competition. Don't forget to show some love to local businesses on Small Business Saturday, too!

Small Business Saturday Gives 'Shop Local' Movement a Holiday Boost

Berkley and Huntington Woods businesses to participate in Nov. 24 promotion that features $25 incentive from American Express.

This seasonal greeting comes from hometown merchants: Don't be in thrall to the mall. They're spreading the word via social media and window signs with help from American Express, organizer of the second annual Small Business Saturday on Nov. 24. The credit card issuer promotes a nationwide "day for everyone – from the business owners who create jobs to the customers who buy locally – to support small businesses that invigorate the economy and keep communities thriving," it explains online. A query on the Berkley Patch Facebook page Monday about who will participate drew a robust response, including the following comments. "It began in 2010 when American Express founded Small Business Saturday to help small businesses get more exposure …

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Meet Patch Blogger Kim Lifton of Wow Writing Workshop

The Huntington Woods resident, who shares tips on how to write effective college essays in her posts, talks about how she and partner Susan Knoppow, also of Huntington Woods, transformed helping neighborhood kids into a small business and more.

Patch blogger Kim Lifton thrives on helping people tell their stories. The Huntington Woods resident and former journalist has used her experience to guide myriad Metro Detroit students along the path to college admissions. She serves as president of Wow Writing Workshop and writes a popular Patch blog on how to write effective college essays. [Would you like to blog on Patch? Click here to get started!] "I am a news junkie, naturally inquisitive (a bit nosey) and interested in everything and anyone," she said. "Everyone has a story; I want to hear them all." The small business owner and her Wow Writing Workshop partner Susan Knoppow, also of Huntington Woods, this summer launched Wow Online – College Essay, a tutorial for college …

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Berkley Customers Shop Local on Small Business Saturday

The event kicked off holiday sales for downtown shops.

The second annual Small Business Saturday got off to a big start Nov. 26 as customers descended upon the stores in downtown Berkley, waiting to purchase something one-of-a-kind. “You go to Toys “R” Us, you go to Target, you go to any major retailer and it’s very hard to find anything made in Michigan or made in America,” said Beata Alghabra, a Lathrup Village resident and Yellow Door Art Market shopper. "We’re just picking up holiday gifts and things for teachers and for the kids, just something different that’s more of a keepsake that they can open on Christmas Day and it’s still meaningful." From artistic pieces and unique books to shirts representing Detroit, there is no shortage of creativity in Berkley’s downtown shops, as Small …

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