As we celebrate our 53rd National Small Business Week, let’s take time to reflect on the role that our 28.8 million American small businesses serve in our economy: creating jobs, building communities and sustaining the American Dream.
A healthy economy requires women and men who are willing to take a risk, work incredibly hard and start small businesses. Small businesses in the U.S. create two out of three net new American jobs and produce close to half of our nation’s goods and services. They also employ nearly half of the American workforce. Ensuring the growth of small business is central to powering both our economy and the American dream.
A lot has changed since the first National Small Business Week in 1963. In today’s digital economy, the power of technology and the internet has fundamentally transformed the way we do business. This new economy has also created a unique opportunity for our entrepreneurs and small enterprises, leveling the playing field and allowing locally grown businesses access to new markets across the U.S. and around the globe. You see this on platforms like eBay, where 97% of U.S. sellers export and more than half in each state sell to ten or more different foreign markets.
There are countless tales of individuals who have used the power of the internet to grow their companies and create jobs – from the Brooklyn guitar shop owner who saved his business by taking it online, to the Denver cyclist who built a multi-national bike business.
At the SBA, we’re committed to helping small businesses access the education, capital and tools they need to succeed. And we know how important it is for entrepreneurs to leverage cutting-edge technology solutions if they’re going to start and grow their businesses.
We’re committed to celebrating small businesses that succeed, which is why I’m excited to participate as a judge in eBay’s first annual Shine Awards for Small Business. Covering several categories, the award program will celebrate the efforts of small businesses using digital platforms to grow their companies.
As we continue through National Small Business Week, I salute small business owners for all that you do to strengthen our economy and your communities. I look forward to hearing more from the small businesses all across the United States of America and celebrating the entrepreneurs who help move our country forward every day.
SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet started three businesses in Los Angeles, including a community bank, before joining President Obama’s cabinet in April 2014.