Hey Alaska! National Small Business Week is almost upon us (April 28th – May 4th, 2024), and it’s time to celebrate the incredible entrepreneurs who drive our communities forward.
For more than 60 years, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has celebrated National Small Business Week, which acknowledges the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners, including their contributions to the economy.
We invite you to join us in congratulating Kali Bennett of The Waterworks – Spa Sauna Swim in Anchorage for winning the 2024 National Small Business Week (NSBW) award for Alaska!
The NSBW Award Ceremonies will take place April 28 – 29, 2024, in Washington, D.C., where Administrator Guzman will recognize the national award winners and individual state winners and also announce the top honor of National Small Business Person of the Year from among the individual state winners. This is an incredible honor, and our team is thrilled to celebrate Waterworks, as well as all of our incredible small businesses across the state!
This week, let’s show our appreciation! Here are a few ways you can participate:
- Seek out and support Alaska-owned businesses. Every purchase makes a difference!
- Share your favorite local businesses on social media using #NationalSmallBusinessWeek and #NSBW24
- Leave a positive review, or like their recent posts to help boost their credibility and visibility!
Want to know how much of a difference supporting local makes? According to BuyAlaska:
- 3x the Value: When you shop local, 63% of your money stays in the state, versus 22% when purchasing from big businesses
- 4x the Jobs: Every dollar spent in Alaska boosts our economy and our job market growth four times faster than a dollar paid to out-of-state employees
And that’s just the start of it. If every Alaskan resident were to redirect $20 of their weekly spending towards local businesses, it would result in an additional revenue of $103,000,000 for Alaska’s economy. This increase in revenue would help create around 6,000 more jobs in the local market, and an additional $215,000,000 would become available for paying out local wages.
When we support local, Alaska wins. And we’re here to help. The Alaska SBDC offers no-fee and confidential business advising, workshops, and resources to help our state’s small businesses start and grow.
Let’s work together to make National Small Business Week a celebration of Alaska’s entrepreneurial spirit!