BATON ROUGE - The Better Business Bureau of South Central Louisiana has some words of advice for shoppers ahead of "Small Business Saturday": Know a store's return policy before you buy.

That's because there's a wide range of approaches to refunds in the small business sector, and each shop can abide by its own rules.

"You need to make sure that when you make those purchases, when you shop at those stores, you know what their refund or their return policies are," explains Carmen Million, President and CEO of the organization. "It's a consumer's responsibility to find out what that is before you make that purchase."

The BBB offers the following additional tips for everyone planning to "shop small."

- Get involved. Many communities are hosting special events to celebrate and support the businesses that make your hometown unique. Find out what local events are happening in your area on the Small Business Saturday website, or visit your local chamber of commerce or merchants’ association.

- Sign-up for email alerts. Save a few dollars on your holiday budget by signing up for Small Business Saturday email specials offered by the merchants in your area. Keep in mind, you’ll probably get additional deals throughout the year, not just during the holidays.

- Research the shops nearest to you. Find out what past customers have to say by reading reviews online, such as those on BBB.org, and learn what shops are participating by going to ShopSmall.org.

- Connect with businesses on social media. Many small businesses will advertise their sales via social media. Use #ShopSmall to search for information and share activities.

- Invite your friends and family. Turn this shopping event into a “friends and family” extravaganza! Visit favorite local stores or explore a new one.

- Don’t just shop small, eat small! Many people think that shopping at local retail stores is the only way to participate. However, small independently owned restaurants, bakeries, and coffee shops would love to invite in new customers while they’re out and about.

- Share your experience. Take a selfie at your favorite small business. Share it on social media with the hashtags #BBB and #ShopSmall to tell the world you’re a big fan of small businesses. Leave a review on BBB.org. Remember, these shops are open all year as well!