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 whatsapp number database 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.
Small shop big hearts 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.
