National Small Business Month is an important occasion for U.S. small business owners because it recognizes their contributions to their communities each year.
It’s organized by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) – an organization committed to helping small business owners build and maintain companies over time. The SBA uses this month, as well as others, to celebrate diverse groups of small business owners throughout the U.S.
In this post, we’ll explain what National Small Business Month is and when it takes place each year. We’ll also list a few other Small Business Months that the SBA recognizes so you can be aware of those, too. Finally, we’ll wrap up with ways you can use National Small Business Month to promote your company this year.
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DownloadWhat is National Small Business Month?
National Small Business Month celebrates entrepreneurs and small business owners, as well as the contributions they make to their local communities.
It kicks off with National Small Business Week – a week dedicated to handing out awards that recognize the outstanding performance of different business owners in the past year. There are conferences and ceremonies, and the President even makes a speech to commemorate the occasion.
Here’s a clip of what it looked like last year:
When is National Small Business Month?
National Small Business Month takes place in May. It begins with National Small Business Week, which kicks off on April 28th, 2024.
In addition to National Small Business Month, the SBA sponsors months that celebrate underrepresented business owners like women and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person of Color) communities. Let’s review these holidays in the section below.
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National Small Business Months
Here is a list of Small Business Months that the SBA celebrates each year.
National Women’s Small Business Month
This month honors women business owners. It takes place in October.
National Black Business Month
The SBA recognizes Black History Month in February, but most businesses celebrate National Black Business Month in August. This month celebrates the contributions made by Black business owners each year.
National Veteran’s Small Business Week
National Veteran’s Small Business Week is from October 29th to November 2nd. It recognizes businesses owned by U.S. veterans.
Native American Heritage Month
Native American Heritage Month celebrates business owners who are Native American, Alaskan Native, or Native Hawaiian. It’s celebrated in November each year.
AANHPI Heritage Month
May is AANHPI Heritage Month which honors businesses owned by Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month is held between September 15th and October 15th. It recognizes Hispanic entrepreneurs and the impact they’ve had on the U.S. economy.
LGBTQ+ Pride Month
LGBTQ+ Pride Month celebrates LGBTQ+ business owners. It takes place in June each year.
National Small Business Month recognizes your contributions as a business owner. It’s a time to not only pat yourself on the back but to promote your company as well. Read on for a few ways to leverage National Small Business Month to spread the word about your business this year.
How to Celebrate National Small Business Month
1. Celebrate National Small Business Week.
National Small Business Week is like the opening ceremony for the Olympics. It’s a spectacle, and there are plenty of activities that you can participate in whether you attend in person or online. One option is to attend the free virtual summit which takes place between April 30th and May 1st.
2. Post on social media.
Consider leveraging different social media platforms to post about your business as well as National Small Business Month. For example, you could tell your followers how you started your business or do an AMA (ask me anything) and answer questions about your experience, your business, or anything else that prospective customers want to know. Remember to use hashtags like #SmallBusinessMonth as this will make your post easier to find on the channels that use them.
3. Support local businesses.
If you are close with other business owners, ask them if they want to partner with you on a marketing campaign. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. You could just add each other’s logos to your email newsletters or place a stack of their business cards on your front desk. These are low-touch ways to subtly promote your business without spending hours crafting complex marketing campaigns.
4. Thank your customers.
National Small Business Month is also a time to thank customers for their ongoing support. It’s hard to have a business without customers, giving them a little token of your gratitude can go a long way for managing your business’s reputation. Give out a discount, publish a thank you post, or just shake your customer’s hands to let them know you appreciate their business.
Celebrating National Small Business Month
You’ve worked hard this year and National Small Business Month is the time to celebrate all your achievements. Your contributions to your community are invaluable and you deserve congratulations on a job well done. Bookmark the dates above so you don’t forget the other Small Business Months throughout the year, and follow these tips to get the word out about your business.
Modern Small
Business Playbook
Modernize your business, get paid faster and win more customers.
