BOONTON, N.J. - Marylandian -- Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, New Jersey's small businesses employed 49.1% of New Jersey's workforce. Further, experts predict that, unless small businesses recover quickly, we can expect our economic recovery to be delayed until 2023. When NJ small business owners Denise Blasevick and Adam Schnitzler heard these statistics, they came up with a creative approach to help their home state: start the #NJsmall movement to encourage NJ's big businesses to hire NJ's small businesses. With #NJsmall, Blasevick and Schnitzler hope to create a shift in the state's large business procurement habits – and they are petitioning Governor Murphy to support this shift with tax incentives.

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Recognizing that big businesses are hurting as well, the #NJsmall movement is not asking them to spend more money. It is simply asking them, whenever possible, to reallocate the money that would have gone to out-of-state vendors – and to spend it with NJ small businesses instead. This will help New Jersey rebuild and recover faster because:

• more NJ small businesses will thrive, so
• more NJ residents will be employed, so
• more money will be spent within our state.

"When it comes to economic recovery, small businesses are essential businesses, yet we are bearing the biggest crunch right now," said Blasevick, CEO of The S3 Agency. "And while we appreciate the federal government's relief measures like the Paycheck Protection Program, this aid was only a temporary bandage that was received by a small percentage of businesses in need. That's why we are asking Governor Murphy to incentivize NJ's big businesses to hire #NJsmall – because hiring small is better for all."

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Visit NJsmall.com to sign the petition and discover other ways you can help – including donating media space for #NJsmall's "Coming Back Big Starts Small" campaign.

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ABOUT #NJsmall's FOUNDERS

The #NJsmall movement was founded by Denise Blasevick and Adam Schnitzler, co-owners of The S3 Agency – a small business based in Boonton, NJ since 2001. The S3 Agency works with some of New Jersey's biggest brands, so they know firsthand how symbiotically successful the big business-small business relationship can be. They also know firsthand how much New Jersey's small businesses are hurting right now. They hope that #NJsmall will help turn that around – with help from everyone in the Garden State, including Governor Murphy.