Why this year's Black Friday is particularly important

If my relationship with Black Friday were represented on Facebook, my status would be perpetually set to "It's complicated." Because it is. As much as I love the incredible markdowns, the insane traffic and unruly shoppers make it difficult to truly enjoy.

That's why I'm glad Black Friday is evolving this year into something more meaningful. With economic recovery experts rightly noting that a lot is riding on this year's holiday shopping season, there's new emphasis on patronizing smaller businesses and internet shops in the days ahead. And that's a good thing. Small Business Saturday has been organized to support the many operations that collectively form America's economic backbone. These shops can't afford the massive advertising campaigns or loss leaders that Walmart and its ilk use to entice shoppers. But small businesses most benefit from our patronage, as the profits stay local and help our neighbors. So as fun as it might be today to brave the crowds at Best Buy this morning and grab that Xbox 360 with three free games for $200, know the same $200 spent at your local main street's restaurants and specialty shops might better help keep those economic recovery gears turning.

In tandem with the economic benefits of Black Friday and Small Business Saturday is Cyber Monday, the day when internet shops see an uptick in orders as people do some holiday shopping on their work computers. While not as directly beneficial as Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday plays the important role of increasing postal activity. Economists and investors closely watch numbers reported by FedEx, UPS and the Post Office to track boosts in commercial activity. Good numbers on those fronts can help sustain a recovery.

There aren't many times when one lowly consumer can truly feel like their dollars are making a difference, but that's what could happen this weekend. It's why this year's Black Friday is particularly important. If you decide to join the fun, I thank you in advance for helping jumpstart our economy.