Countdown to Third Annual Small Business Saturday Begins with Support from Every Corner of the Country10:00 EDT Tuesday, October 16, 2012 SAN FRANCISCO (Business Wire) -- Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), a non-partisan organization that advocates for issues affecting the health of small businesses, today announced its coalition of 159 organizations that will drive support for the third annual Small Business Saturday. Small Business Saturday, which falls between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, is a day for dedicating a portion of holiday shopping at local, independently-owned businesses. Recently, the United States Senate unanimously passed a Small Business Saturday Resolution, which supports efforts to encourage consumers to shop locally and increase awareness of the value of locally owned small businesses. The resolution received bi-partisan support from more than 40 co-sponsors. American Express, the founding partner of Small Business Saturday, created the national program in 2010 in response to small business owners' most pressing need: more demand for their products and services. WIPP is leading the Small Business Saturday Coalition, which is on pace to exceed the size of last year's, to inspire business owners and communities across the country and raise awareness of the value small businesses bring to local communities. The following 159 organizations and 30 corporations have joined the Small Business Saturday Coalition, to build on last year's success that drove millions of Americans to shop small. “The support from these organizations, corporations and members of Congress is helping small retailers and restaurants more effectively market themselves to get their cash registers ringing on the busiest holiday shopping weekend of the year,” said Barbara Kasoff, president of WIPP.   159 ORGANIZATIONS   Accion East Coast and Online Aiken Chamber of Commerce American Booksellers Association American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA) American Specialty Toy Retailing Association Arizona Small Business Association Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) Association for Women in Communications Association of Small Business Development Centers (ASBDC) Association of Women's Business Centers Astra Women's Business Alliance Better Business Bureaus Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce Business and Professional Women's Foundation BusinessOwnerSpace CAMEO - California Association for Micro Enterprise Opportunity Canton Area Chamber of Commerce Center for Rural Entrepreneurship The Center for Women & Enterprise CharlotteBusinessResources.com Charlotte Center City Partners Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau Church Street Marketplace City of Charlotte, NC City of Orlando Main Street Program City of Peoria, Illinois City of San Jose City of Scottsdale City of Washington, IL Coachella Valley Women's Business Center Coastal Enterprises, Inc. Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce Count Me In for Women's Economic Independence CPCC Institute for Entrepreneurship Culver City Chamber of Commerce DC Chamber of Commerce Deanwood Heights Main Streets Destination DC Detroit Regional Chamber Downtown Boulder Business Improvement District East Orlando Chamber of Commerce East Peoria Chamber of Commerce Echelon Circles Enterprising Women Erase Poverty.org EWF International eWomen Network Florida Small Business Development Center Network Foster City Chamber of Commerce Georgetown Business Improvement District Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council (GMSDC) Global EXEC Women Grand Avenue Business Association Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau Greater Palm Bay Chamber of Commerce The Greater Phoenix Black Chamber of Commerce Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation Helms Bakery District Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Marin Hyde Park Main Streets Illinois River Road National Scenic Byway Independent We Stand Inland Empire Women's Business Center La Cocina Lacon Chamber of Commerce Lacon Economic Development Committee Latino Economic Development Center Little PINK Book Manayunk.com Manhattan Chamber of Commerce Manta McLean County Chamber of Commerce Melbourne Regional Chamber of East Central Florida Metro Centre Shopping Center - Peoria, IL Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce Mills 50 Morton Chamber of Commerce National Association for Female Executives & Entrepreneurs (NAFE) National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) National Association of Certified Government Business Enterprise National Association of Women Business Owners, Central Illinois National Association of Women REO Brokerages (NAWRB) National Foundation for Women Legislators National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce National Ice Cream Retailers Association National Restaurant Association National Small Business Association NAWBO - National Association of Women Business Owners New Jersey Association of Women Business Owners, NJAWBO Northern California Independent Booksellers Association NY Business Latino NYC & Company Ohio River Valley Women's Business Council (ORV-WBC) Old Bridge Economic Development Corporation Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce & Industry Oviedo - Winter Springs Regional Chamber of Commerce Pacific Community Ventures Park Avenue Merchants Association Pekin (IL) Area Chamber of Commerce Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce Peoria County Government, IL Peoria Heights Chamber of Commerce Princeton Area Chamber of Commerce Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center Retail Merchants Association Roslindale Village Main Street Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau San Francisco Locally Owned Business Alliance San Francisco Office of Small Business Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce SBDC @ Indian River State College SCORE Seton Hill University E-Magnify Shelton Mason County Chamber of Commerce Small Business Development Center at Gulf Coast State College Small Business Development Center at the University of South Florida Small Business Development Center Miami Dade Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council Small Business Majority Society of American Florists Sundance Square Tazewell County The Economic Development Council for Central Illinois The Heartland Partnership The Latino Coalition The National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL) The National Association of Quick Printers (NAQP) Union Street Association Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce U.S. Black Chamber, Inc. United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship® Upham's Corner Main Street, Inc. Valley Economic Development Center – VEDC Village Alliance Washington Chamber of Commerce Washington Gateway Main Street Washington Heights and Inwood Development Corporation Wealthy Sistas Media Group Winter Park Chamber of Commerce Women Construction Owners & Executives USA Women Impacting Public Policy Women in Ecommerce WIRES - Women Impacting Real Estate Solutions Women in Default Services Women Presidents' Organization Women's Business Center at Florida Tech Women's Business Council-Southwest Women's Business Development Center Women's Business Development Center – Chicago Women's Business Development Council of Florida Women's Business Enterprise Alliance - WBEA Women's Business Enterprise Council South Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) Women's Business and Training Center Women's Exchange, Inc. Women's Business Development Council - (WBDC) Women's Leadership Exchange       30 CORPORATIONS   Ace Hardware ReachLocal, Inc. AOL/Patch Regus Business Beware Rocket Lawyer Central Parking Taylor Corporation Clear Channel Tekserve Constant Contact, Inc. Tissot Swiss Watches Dunn & Bradstreet Credibility Corp. True Value Company FedEx Verizon Wireless FTD vFlyer Inc. Garmin Web.com Hertz WebQA Hilton HHonors™ Xerox Direct Hyatt Xero Online Accounting Marriott International Yext Plantronics® Zipcar for Business   About Small Business Saturday November 24th marks the third annual Small Business Saturday, a day to support the local businesses that create jobs, boost the economy and preserve neighborhoods around the country. Small Business Saturday (SBS) was created in 2010 in response to small business owners' most pressing need: more customers. More than 2.7 million Facebook users, 230 public and private organizations, 75 corporations and elected officials in all 50 states and Washington D.C. declared their support for SBS last year. More than 500,000 small business owners leveraged an online tool or promotional materials for SBS and 15,000 businesses signed up for free Facebook advertising to promote their products and services in the run up to SBS. American Express is the founding sponsor of SBS. About Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) Women Impacting Public Policy is a national nonpartisan group with over half-a-million members. WIPP is the collective voice in Washington, D.C., for over 50 national women and small business organizations. WIPP advocates for and on behalf of women in business in the legislative process of our nation, creating economic opportunities for members and building alliances with other small business organizations. Visit www.wipp.org. For American ExpressAliza Fischer / M Booth212-539-3247orFor WIPPJason Lalak415-434-4314