Carry the Banner for Small Businesses

By Andy Kocemba

More than 50 years ago, the President of the United States first recognized National Small Business Week. Each year since, the country takes a week in early May to celebrate and recognize the profound impact small businesses make in our economy and our lives.

In Minnesota, Calhoun Companies has the honor to partner with the James J. Hill Center and the Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota to host Small Helps All, a local celebration of National Small Business Week. 

Did you know that in Minnesota alone there are more than 500,000 small businesses?  They employ more than 1.2 million workers, which amounts to nearly half of Minnesota’s workforce. Even more staggering, more than 99 percent of businesses in Minnesota are classified as small businesses.  This means that while the large corporations like Target and Best Buy garner the headlines and grab our attention, it’s the small businesses that are the driving force in our economy.

This year, our local Small Helps All celebration consisted of live events, webinars, and sharing of great amounts of information through social media channels. Our goal was not only to recognize but also to provide valuable information and resources to small businesses.

But, Small Business Week wouldn’t be a success if it simply ended on Friday.  We need to carry the banner for small businesses throughout the rest of the year.

  • Visit and support your local small businesses regularly.
  • Tell people about the small businesses you love. The more people you tell, the more you are helping the business.
  • Leave a review on sites like Yelp and Foursquare when you visit a small business.
  • Share and recognize your favorite small businesses throughout the year on social media using #SmallHelpsAll.

Let’s continue to support the local small businesses that make Minnesota great all year long!

Takeaways

  1. The impact of small business is anything but small.
  2. Everyone should take time to support small businesses throughout the year.
  3. Tell the world about your favorite small business using #SmallHelpsAll on social media