The upcoming sales tax holiday will be a big help to small businesses still struggling to recover from the economic recession, says J.J. Darby, state director of the National Federation of Independent Business, South Carolina’s leading small-business association.

The holiday is Aug. 5-7.

“Our country may be two years into the economic recovery, but small-business owners are still worried, especially when it comes to consumer spending,” Darby said. Weak sales continues to rank as the No. 1 challenge facing the nation’s small businesses, according to NFIB’s Small Business Economic Trends Report for July. (Click here to learn more and download the full report.)

“The sales-tax holiday is really going to make a difference, because it’s going to help families stretch a dollar, and it’s going to put people in the mood to shop,” he said. “We’re hopeful they’ll use this opportunity to support the local economy and shop at small businesses.”

“Small business is what drives our economy,” Darby said. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses account for 97 percent of all employers in the state and employ about half of the state’s private-sector workforce.

“The bottom line is that the more we can encourage people to spend and to shop at small businesses, the more jobs we can save and create, and the faster our economy will get back on track,” Darby said.

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NFIB is the nation’s leading small business association, with offices in Washington, D.C. and all 50 state capitals. Founded in 1943 as a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, NFIB gives small- and independent-business owners a voice in shaping the public policy issues that affect their business. NFIB’s powerful network of grassroots activists sends its views directly to state and federal lawmakers through our unique member-only ballot, thus playing a critical role in supporting America’s free enterprise system. NFIB’s mission is to promote and protect the right of our members to own, operate and grow their businesses. More information about NFIB is available online at www.NFIB.com/newsroom.