by Frontier Business on
National Small Business Week has been held each year since 1963 to honor small business leaders around the country and to raise awareness of small businesses. In 2017, the dates will be April 30 to May 6.
This is an important week for small businesses, with extra attention and publicity and the possibility for lots of extra traffic. Read on for all the details and to learn how Small Business Week can benefit you and your business.
Small Business Week is a national celebration of entrepreneurs, small-business owners, and small businesses held in the spring each year. The US Small Business Administration (SBA) honors top business owners with awards and puts on workshops and classes to help small business owners grow.
The events are sponsored by major national and international brands, including Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Visa, and Lockheed Martin. Despite the backing from big brands, though, the focus remains on small businesses.
According to the SBA, more than half of Americans work for or own a small business. Two of every three new jobs created in the country each year are created by small businesses. With numbers like those, it’s clear that these small organizations have a big role in keeping the country running.
The aim of Small Business Week is to increase awareness of small businesses and to recognize the leaders that continue to make small business successful across the country. The idea is that by taking time to honor and celebrate hard-working small-business owners and successful businesses, the country will focus more on them. It’s a much-needed boost to publicity for businesses that often have to compete with huge corporations for consumer mindshare.
During Small Business Week, there are workshops and presentations given in several major cities. This year’s events kick off in Washington, DC, with a presentation and awards show hosted by SBA Administrator Linda McMahon. After that, McMahon will hit the road, stopping in New York City, Indianapolis, Dallas, and Fresno. The road show includes seminars aimed at growing small-business owners and helping them become better equipped to lead their businesses in the future.
Beyond the major sponsored events, local communities across the country will also hold their own events to highlight outstanding small businesses that might not otherwise get as much attention as major national brands.
If you can’t make it to the big festivities, don’t worry. Many of the events will be streamed live on the SBA website. There will also be webinars hosted by sponsors like Google, Salesforce, and Chase. These will be held throughout the week, and registration is free.
For those looking for more direct interaction, the SBA will be hosting a live Facebook chat on Tuesday, May 2, at 11:30 a.m. ET. You can participate on the SBA Facebook page.
Small Business Week represents a great opportunity to get some additional publicity for your business. This is a national event, so awareness will be high. Small businesses in general are likely to enjoy a little extra attention during the week, and you can take advantage of this with promotions and events that place the focus on celebrating small businesses.
Small Business Week is also a great time to build partnerships with fellow business owners and show support for other small businesses—both of which are likely to earn you more business of your own.
For social-savvy business owners, you can use #SmallBusinessWeek to highlight your support and participate in discussions about the events. With the popularity of social media among consumers, this is a great way to capitalize on the publicity. You can tweet your support for other local businesses, or you can use the added visibility to help get the word out about promotions and special events you’re holding for the week. And don’t forget that hashtags aren’t just for Twitter—Facebook and Instagram accounts can also make good use of them.
What are your plans for Small Business Week? We’d love to hear them. Tweet your ideas at @FrontierBiz.
