Small businesses are what make up our community unique. Not only do they bring life and growth into our community, they also keep the U.S. running. More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, this makes up for about two-thirds of the new jobs every year. Many great companies started off as a small business, such as Nordstrom, Dell, and also the most well-known one, Apple. The first week of May (April 20th to May 6th) marks the 54th annual National Small Business week. The U.S. Small Business Administration hopes to use this week to honor small business owners and entrepreneurs from all over the country.
Some people start a business out of pure fascination and others do it for what they love. Whether you are starting a business for a personal reason or simply just want to make a load of money, you’d have to prepare to take on a huge responsibility. It’s no piece of cake. Not everyone can do it. The most important thing about owning a small business to have is an on-going love for what you want to do, because without passion, no business can succeed. You have to be your own boss, making dreams into reality. It takes a lot of discipline, long hours, and hard work—something many might not able to do. However with the right eagerness, passion, and dedication, something small can become big.
Starting off as a small business, you have to be psychologically and financially prepare for numerous challenges. Small business owners have to take risks on creating and establishing different ideas, investing in their communities, and creating jobs. They have to face financial challenges with external factor and internal factor of cash flow. They also have to reconcile the insufficient amount of time and the endless responsibilities that they have to take on. Although it’s tough, many would still prefer to become small business owners. The most solid reason would be independence. You no longer have to work for anyone else, because you work for your own profit. You possess the freedom of choice and actions instead of following other’s ideas and rules.
Share your love with Small Business Week. If you are interested in become a small business owner, you can expand your skills through out this week by joining events that are host by the SBA (Small Business Association) online and locally to help you learn new skills and increase your impact as a professional. During the rest of week, the SBA will discuss about how to grow your business, the future of small business innovation and how to become a local small business champion. During this week, the most important thing that all of us need to do is to show our appreciation to all small business owners, they are the ones that use their skill and creativity not only supporting their family, but also makes our community a much vibrant place to live and they act as the backbone of the U.S economy.
Ben Wu