With apologies to
baseball and your mother’s apple pie, nothing is more American than National
Small Business Week.
Our country was founded by risk-taking pioneers in
search of new horizons. More than two centuries later, what sets America apart
in the world is the willingness of our entrepreneurs to take risks. Small
businesses allow Americans to be their own boss and improve their lot in life
through hard work – a core American value.
Every year since 1963, the President of the United
States has issued a proclamation declaring National Small Business Week to
recognize the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs, who create
nearly two out of every three net, new U.S. jobs each year. Federal Reserve
Chair Janet Yellen said it was our small businesses that powered our recovery
after the Great Recession.
National Small Business Week, themed “SBA: Dream Big,
Start Small,” will be held May 4-8. Special events will take place
in Miami/Boca Raton, Los Angeles, San Antonio, New York, and Washington. D.C.
Tune in all week for live-streaming, beginning at 1 p.m. ET Monday with
a panel discussion on small business financing followed by a conversation with Joyce Rosenberg of the Associated Press.
Or join me @MCS4Biz
at #DreamSmallBiz. I promise you’ll learn a lot.
America is one of the few countries that give
entrepreneurs a seat at the President’s cabinet table. This allows the U.S.
Small Business Administration (SBA)
to speak with one voice on behalf of 28 million small businesses with divergent
interests.
The SBA also offers an extensive national network of
small business lenders and counselors that’s unmatched anywhere in the world. Many
entrepreneurs with great ideas and great potential do not begin with great
wealth, so they need a great government partner to support their success.
The SBA offers the “three Cs” to help the best and
brightest start or grow a business, secure capital, and commercialize their
ideas to benefit society:
–
Capital: SBA fill gaps in the commercial
lending marketplace so success in the small business sector is based on merit,
not family wealth. To inquire about a small business loan, click here.
–
Counseling: SBA provides free consultation and
advice to help businesses on Main Street succeed. To find a small business
counselor near you, click here.
–
Contracts: SBA levels the playing field with
big business by helping small businesses capture new revenue and new customers
by winning government contracts, joining corporate supply chains, and exporting
beyond our borders. To learn about contracting opportunities, click here.
This year, during National Small Business Week, we
recommit ourselves to those fearless entrepreneurs who plan well, work hard,
and dream big. Every
business starts small. Nike, Apple, FedEx, Ben &
Jerry’s, Under Armour and Outback Steakhouse were all once small businesses,
until they found an SBA lender or investor to work with them.
I came to this country as a 5-year old immigrant who
didn’t speak a word of English. Today, I serve in the cabinet of the President
of the United States. My story is possible only because of the entrepreneurial
spirit.
Success in business comes one small step at a time. So
dream big, but take that next small step today, because the next great American
success story could be staring back at you in the mirror.
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