The idea started in 2002. One of the presentations I give has multiple mentions of special days your business can celebrate - Small Business Week, Mom and Pop Business Owner Day - along with events like Chocolate Cake Day (a great event for every local restaurant). I gave a suggestion of businesses and communities creating their own special events and listing them with Chase Calendar of Events which is a book that the media uses to tell us of all these events. Chase first published their event book in 1957.

As an example, I created one for independent retailers. The month of July was selected because I wanted to honor the month of my grandmother's birthday and later the month my Dad passed away.

The event has made tremendous strides ever since Kerry Bannigan called and said she wanted to be a part of making the event grow. She has done an awesome job. Here is a photo of the event being promoted on the billboard in Times Square. And the folks who create the national day calendar have made it the theme for July.

Join us and be a part of this exciting time for small business.  There is information and free tools that you can use for your business, chamber of commerce, Main Street program, merchants association and other organizations comprised of independent retailers. Just follow this link to the Independent Retailer Month website.

And we welcome your ideas of how we can grow this event. It has already expanded to England and Canada. Help us remind the world what an awesome and special experience it is to do business with an independent retailer - starting with your business.