With the holiday season all but here, more small business owners are making Small Business Saturday an integral factor in their holiday sales plans, according to the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB).

Some 46% of independent merchants plan to incorporate Small Business Saturday into their holiday strategy, and most of them (67%) say they will offer discounts on November 24, according to the inaugural Small Business Saturday Insights Survey from the NFIB and American Express.

Of those small business owners planning to promote Small Business Saturday, 80% expect a year-over-year boost in sales on that day.

Small Business Saturday falls between Black Friday and Cyber Monday and serves as the traditional kickoff to the holiday shopping season for independent retailers and restaurateurs. The day was established three years ago by American Express in response to small business owners' most pressing need: more customers.