5 Ways To Celebrate The National Small Business Week 

Business news is constantly filled with headlines on the stock market and corporations that are ‘too big to fail.’ Amidst all that, it’s easy to forget that small businesses are the lifeblood of the U.S. economy. 

For over 60 years, National Small Business Week has put a well-deserved spotlight on the contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners. 

Whether this is your first time celebrating Small Business Week or your 50th, here are five ways to highlight the critical contributions of small enterprises to local communities and the national economy.

What is the National Small Business Week?

Small Business Week began in 1963 with a presidential proclamation about the importance of America’s small businesses to the U.S. economy. 

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 99.9% of U.S. businesses are small businesses, and these enterprises created 63% of new jobs between 1995 and 2021.

Every year, the Small Business Administration (SBA) hosts the National Small Business Awards. These awards recognize small business owners’ critical contributions and achievements across the 54 states and territories. 

Honors include National Small Business Person of the Year, Lender of Year, Women’s Business Centers, and Small Business Subcontractor of the Year. 

In addition to the award ceremony held in Washington, D.C., the small business administration hosts a virtual summit where they can access federal resources, meet other business owners, and learn from industry experts. 

When is Small Business Week this year? In the US, the Small Business Week will be on the first week of May. So, mark your calendars for April 28 to May 4, 2024. In Canada, it falls on the third week of October.

5 Ways to Celebrate the Small Business Week

National Small Business Week is an opportunity to raise brand awareness, boost employee morale, promote customer loyalty, and increase sales. 

Here are five ways to take part in this 60-year tradition:

1. Thank your customers

Your small business wouldn’t be where it is without your customers. National Small Business Week is the perfect time to show them your appreciation. 

It is impossible to thank every customer personally. Still, email marketing tools like GetResponse enable you to send personalized appreciation emails in bulk. 

Why email? There are 4.48 billion email users globally. Chances are your customers have an active email. Furthermore, email has a higher ROI and purchase value than social media platforms.

You can borrow this example from Abercrombie and Fitch for your small business email marketing campaign.

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The pillars of a successful email are subject lines and content. The subject line gets customers to open the email. The content is where you show you value your customers. 

Tell your customers what their support means to your business and community. You can also incentivize them to continue shopping with you by offering a limited-time discount. You’ll be rewarding their loyalty and driving sales. 

Another way to thank customers and partners is by giving in-store customers free branded merchandise. It shows appreciation and promotes brand awareness. 

2. Collaborate with other Businesses

Think Taco Bell and Doritos collaborating to make a taco with a Doritos shell. 

Partnering with other businesses is a great way to extend your brand reach, increase your social media followers, and even grow your email list. Connecting with other brands gives you access to their target audiences and creates valuable business relationships. 

You can collaborate with other brands for the national small business week in several ways. 

• Run a contest together
• Co-host a podcast
• Cross-promote each other on social media
• Write a guest post on their blog
• Co-create content (e.g., a webinar or eBook)

Below is an example of a giveaway event during Small Business Week. 

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Oregon-based credit union partnered with Portland’s small business directory to give $500 to a local business. Participants must like the post and tag both organizations in a post about their favorite small business, among other things. 

Similarly, you could partner with fellow small business owners to give away merchandise to loyal customers. 

The partner you choose should complement your business. You must also share similar values and target audiences. For instance, an ideal partner for a non-profit animal rescue would be a vegan brand. 

3. Share your motivation and vision

National Small Business Week is about you, making it a great time to share your brand story. Storytelling is a powerful strategy to build deep connections with audiences, boost loyalty, and stand out from competitors. 

You started your small business for a reason. For instance, you created a community art gallery to showcase local talent. If you don’t have an inspiring inception story, you can create stories around your brand values, company culture, customers, or impact on the community. 

Check this out.

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This small but mighty company highlights its contribution to the community, including donations to community charities.

Brand storytelling isn’t a sales pitch. While you can weave your products or services into the story, you shouldn’t focus on them. The goal is to let customers know why you do what you do.  

4. Sponsor local educational events

Sponsoring local educational events is one of the best ways small businesses can give back to their communities. Your local business community hosts workshops, seminars, expos, etc. year around. Check the local business calendar to see which ones you can sponsor. 

Below is the calendar of upcoming events from the Arizona Small Business Association with their sponsors.

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Sponsoring educational events increases visibility for small businesses and positions your brand as a local industry authority. They also provide an opportunity to network with other local businesses.

5. Let others know

Let your customers and supporters know it’s small business week. You can create a buzz in your business through email newsletters and social media posts. Share information about sponsored events, brand stories, and special offers.

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The Alibi Bookshop in Vallejo, California, encourages customers to support local businesses by offering a 10% discount to customers with receipts from other Vallejo small businesses during National Small Business Week.

Be sure to use the hashtag #smallbusinessweek. That should extend your reach and help your target customers and other businesses find you. 

In Closing

Small businesses are the unsung heroes of the country’s economy. For one week in the year, we recognize their impact on employment and the nation’s GDP. 

National Small Business Week is a chance to showcase your company and contribution to the community. Honoring small businesses is also an opportunity to improve brand awareness and increase sales.

There are many ways to celebrate your business. We shared five ideas that are inspiring and easy to implement. 

Happy celebrating!