The Insider’s Guide to 2017’s Small Business Week

For more than 50 years, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has celebrated small business owners during National Small Business Week.

What does National Small Business Week mean to your business?

How can you take advantage of it or participate in the event?

Here’s what you need to know.

When Does Small Business Week Take Place?

National Small Business Week is held every spring; in 2017, it runs from April 30 to May 6.

What Is Small Business Week?

The goal of National Small Business Week is to highlight the impact of outstanding entrepreneurs, small business owners, and supporters of small business from all 50 states and the U.S. territories.

Why Does Small Business Week Take Place?

According to the SBA, more than half of Americans either own or work for a small business.

The nation’s small businesses create an estimated two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year.

Where Does Small Business Week Happen?

This year, newly appointed SBA Administrator Linda McMahon will kick off the week with a national event on Monday, May 1, in Washington, D.C.

She will then visit New York City on May 2, Indianapolis on May 3, Dallas on May 4, and Fresno, California, on May 5 for additional national events.

Meanwhile, SBA district offices will sponsor state and local events across the country all week long. (The San Antonio District Office is holding its own awards for small business owners and supporters.)

How Can You Get in on Small Business Week?

Details of the national events have not yet been announced, so you should check the Small Business Week website for updates.

You can get information about events in your area from your local SBA district office. Even if you can’t travel to a national event and there is no local event near you, you can still get involved with National Small Business Week virtually by watching live or recorded events online or participating in the conversation on social media.

Look for National Small Business Week events and information on social media using the hashtag #SmallBusinessWeek, or follow the SBA on Twitter @SBAgov or on Facebook to get the most current updates.  

A major focus of National Small Business Week is the awards ceremony honoring small business owners, entrepreneurs, and their supporters.

These include:

• Small Business Person of the Year Award
• Small Business Exporter of the Year
• Phoenix Award for Small Business Disaster Recovery
• Phoenix Award for Outstanding Contributions to Disaster Recovery – Public Official
• Phoenix Award for Outstanding Contributions to Disaster Recovery – Volunteer
• Federal Procurement Award – Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year Award
• Federal Procurement Award – Small Business Subcontractor of the Year Award
• Federal Procurement Award – Dwight D. Eisenhower Award for Excellence
• 8(a) Graduate of the Year Award
• Small Business Development Center Excellence and Innovation Award
• Veterans Business Outreach Center Excellence in Service Award
• Women’s Business Center of the Year Excellence Award
• Jody C. Raskind Lender of the Year
• Small Business Investment Company of the Year

Winners of the awards were chosen in March.

Read about all 54 National Small Business Week award winners—one of whom will be named the Small Business Owner of the Year during Small Business Week.

“I couldn’t be prouder of all the awardees this year—they are working to grow small businesses, create 21st-century jobs, drive innovation, and increase America’s global competitiveness,” McMahon said in announcing the winners.

Want to know more?

Sign up to get email updates about Small Business Week events.

Do you know someone who deserves to win a Small Business Week award next year? Keep an eye on the National Small Business Week website to find out how and when to nominate them.

The post The Insider’s Guide to 2017’s Small Business Week appeared first on Fundera Ledger.

from Fundera Ledger https://www.fundera.com/blog/small-business-week