(Credit: Corbis)

ALBANY, NY — Mike Durant, state director of the National Federation of Independent Business, the state’s leading small-business association, is encouraging holiday shoppers to invest in their communities by shopping at small businesses the Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving.

"Black Friday is when a lot of people get up early and line up outside the giant department stores, but if you’re looking for something unique and want to support your community, then you need to shop at small businesses, too,” said Durant.

NFIB has a list of small businesses offering special deals this weekend at www.NFIB.com/shopsmall.

The busy holiday shopping season is especially critical to New York small businesses, which are still struggling to rebound from the weak economy. State-specific data isn’t available, but according to NFIB’s most recent Small Business Optimism Index, the No. 1 problem facing small business last month remained “poor sales,” followed by government regulations and taxes. (Download the full report at www.nfib.com/sbetindex.)

“Small businesses drive our economy, and if we’re going to create jobs in this state, we need a healthy small-business community,” said Durant.

According to a 2011 report by Ernst & Young, more than 90 percent of all businesses in New York are registered as flow-through companies, usually sole proprietorships, partnerships and other small operations. They account for more than half of all jobs in the state.

“Small and independent business owners are among the most generous supporters of civic groups, local charities, youth sports, school activities and virtually every other form of community activity,” Durant said. “Shopping locally is a way for people to help their friends and neighbors and create jobs and opportunities in our communities.”