INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Small businesses in Indiana are hopeful Black Friday’s shopping momentum will carry into Saturday. Small Business Saturday is a day encouraging holiday shoppers to patronize the little guys.

Jacob Schpok, executive director with the Indiana Office of Small Business and Entrepreneurship, says small businesses are the backbone of Indiana, making up almost 50 percent of the employment in the state. He adds, visiting locally owned stores and restaurants pays off for Indiana communities.

“It’s additional resources that are going right into the infrastructure of that community,” says Schpok. “The schools and the general quality of life. So it’s really important to take a look at small businesses as one of the largest economic drivers for the state.”

He says $45 of every $100 spent in a locally-owned store is returned to the community compared to just $14 at big box retailers. On Small Business Saturday, many stores are offering special sales for shoppers.

While small businesses do not have the resources to advertise as widely as the big guys, Schpok contends that the little guys’ sales promotions should not be discounted. He says locally owned stores typically have unique offerings and services.

“Really what it comes down to for a lot of our smaller, independent businesses is leveraging the quality that they can provide and the customer service they can provide that some of the larger stores might not be able to offer their customers,” says Schpok.

Data from the U.S. Small Business Administration show there were almost 28 million small businesses in the country in 2014, and more than one million Hoosiers employed by a small business.