Today is Small Business Saturday and the small mom and pop shops are capitalizing on the increased number of business.

"You get people especially during the holiday season purchasing gifts for people who don't even know we exist, so that's how we expand and we grow."

Angela Roloff, general manger of Rubber City Clothing, a business located in downtown Akron that sells Akron apparel, said community is one of the advantages of being a small business. She said it's being able to communicate and connect with customers that's one of the best parts.

"Being closer with the community, Roloff said. "Being able to give them what they want and not have to present it to a round-table before you give them what they want."

American Express has been credited with coming up with the concept Small Business Saturday, after seeing small business suffer from the Black Friday bargains.

Marge Klein, owner of the Peanut Shoppe that's been a fixture in the Akron community for over 80 years, said in order to have a successful small business, you have to be able to answer to what customers want.

"It's up to you and your employees and co-workers, to be able to keep a store going without having to answer to anybody, but your customers."

Shawn Ritchie, of Ritchie's Sporting Goods in Tallmadge, said people tend to think they can find cheaper deals at bigger, more established stores, but he said that's not always the case.

"They think they can get a better deal with the big box stores. You go online and I tell them all the time; I'll match anybody's prices of any other big box store because it's going to be the same price as mine."

The first day of Small Business Saturday was November 27, 2010. It encourages people to shop and support small and local businesses.

In 2014, an estimated $14.3 billion was spent on Small Business Saturday, according to American Express.