Brookfield Businesses Hope to Benefit from Small Business Saturday

Jackie Zach, the owner of the store on Blue Mound Road in Brookfield, has one thing she tells her customers: “Taste before you buy.”

With more 30 different varieties of oil flavors to choose from, Oilerie offers an olive oil bar for sampling pleasures. When you find the right flavor that suits your taste buds, the staff bottles the oil up and informs you on ways to use it.

For instance, Zach recommends truffle olive oil with a grilled cheesed sandwich and garlic oil with popcorn.

“Olive oil has so many uses,” Zach said. “And it is good for you.”

Olive oil is a natural alternative to butter, is dramatically healthier and adds zest to a dull recipe, she says.

To make it easy on the consumer, Oilerie offers gift boxes with a variety of combinations, perfect for the holidays. Gift sets are customizable, giving the consumer the best opportunity to tailor gifts for specific people.

Zach, who opened the store at 17125 W. Blue Mound Rd. in 2008, is one of many small business owners in Brookfield.

Her enthusiasm can be seen in the pride she takes in not only olive oil, but her shop as well. Her local business, unique in nature, thrives off the local community surrounding the shop.

And it's that kind of pride of ownership that is being celebrated this Saturday in the second annual Small Business Saturday.

Throughout the nation, the number of locally owned businesses declined from 59 percent in 1990 to 48 percent in 2009, according to a report by American Express OPEN.

To help more small businesses keep their doors open, American Express is offering incentives to people who shop local on Saturday. Card members who spend $25 or more at qualifying small businesses can earn a $25 statement credit.

More than 2 million people “like” the national event’s Facebook page and have joined the movement.

“The importance of shopping local is keeping the dollars in the community,” said Carol White, president of the .

Randall Hoth, president of the Wisconsin Better Business Bureau, said the bureau supports small local businesses because the owners often work directly with consumers and have a deep investment in the community.

Hoth said 90 percent of Wisconsin businesses that are accredited with the Better Business Bureau and pledge to uphold its code of ethics are small business owners with 25 or fewer employees.

“I think it’s a huge thing for the consumer to know that you’re doing business face to face with an owner that cares about your business,” Hoth said. “They’re the ones pledging to do the right thing for their customers.”