.gif)
The influence of small businesses in Colorado County has helped shape and guide the community since the days of early settlers creating store fronts and trading with their neighbors.
Now, with more opportunities than ever for residents to start their own business, small and family-owned companies have an even greater impact as towns try to support their own businesses and attach some businesses to the town identity. These businesses are celebrated across the nation as Small Business Week is observed, this year from April 28 to May 4, highlighting some of the local entrepreneurs who have helped build the community with the goods or services they provide.
Small Business Week began in 1963 with a proclamation by President John F. Kennedy, scheduled to be recognized during the first week of May. During the week, the top entrepreneurs of each state receive special recognition and awards to celebrate their accomplishments and raise awareness of success stories. In 2023, the week celebrated its 60th anniversary of recognizing small businesses.
The proclamation was written to give credence to the concept of the U.S. being a ‘Land of Opportunity,’ noting that small business owners share similar values to the first Americans who traveled to the nation looking to create their success with their own hands.
The U.S. had already shown its belief in the importance of small businesses with the formation of the Small Business Administration in 1953. The SBA was created to counsel business owners to help them grow their companies into sustainable businesses. Even back in 1932 during the Great Depression, the Reconstruction Finance Corporation was founded to assist struggling businesses.
Today, with so many markets, goods and services being produced by large corporations, finding success as a small business is a difficult process with the potential for pitfalls and even failure. Despite that, the nation has seen more small businesses than ever before as ‘hustle’ culture has increased in younger populations as well as full time workers looking to create an extra stream of income.
As a result, the U.S. has about 31 million small businesses across the nation, populating towns of various sizes and ideals.
In Colorado County, small businesses are represented well as there are many family-owned, longstanding companies and storefronts that have become a part of the town’s landscape. Restaurants, clothing stores, groceries and other commodities can all be found within the county line as many residents put emphasis on purchasing from their local businesses.
Each town in the county hosts some iteration of a local market once a month during non-winter seasons, featuring the local farmers, shop owners and vendors hoping to increase their visibility by setting up at the well-attended events. Along with advertisements in local media and iconic storefronts and locations, the presence of small businesses is prevalent throughout the county.
Small and local business advocates promote the use and support of neighborhood business beyond Small Business Week to create strong and sustainable local economies.
