Small Business Week

Posted on May 10, 2019 Ashley Eining

National Small Business Week kicked off this week, running from May 5th to 11th. It’s a week to honor and recognize America’s small business owners and the impact they have on our nation’s economy. Led by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), this week truly matters for entrepreneurs and small businesses. 

Did you know that more than half of Americans either own or work for a small business? And whether you work at a small business, own one, or would like to support them, there are plenty of options to show you care during this week and all year around! 

• If you’re an owner, partner with other small businesses to help cross promote. 
• Share about your loyal customers on your website or Social Media to show how much you value their support. 
• Treat your most loyal customers to specials, discounts, and freebies. 
• Share about your favorite businesses by posting about them on Social Media or checking in. 
• And of course, simply support them. Shop, eat, drink, and socialize locally. It makes the biggest impact. 

We’re sharing about a few of our favorite small businesses in this post. We’ve interviewed these individuals on some of their highs and lows of running a small business so check that out below. Have some of your own favorite small businesses? We’d love to hear about them in the comment section!

Curt Bear for LoCo Think Tank

Q: Why does LoCo Think Tank exist? What was the inspiration that started it?

A: LoCo Think Tank was started to provide an affordable but effective small business peer advisory experience.  In my 15 year banking career I observed that the business owners who found that elusive combination of profitability and peace in their lives often attributed much of the credit to the impact of peer advisory.  So, when I left banking to attempt a restaurant concept, I created LoCo Think Tank as the device to achieve this outcome on a budget.  People loved it from the start, so I kept creating more and more chapters and building the infrastructure and policies that were necessary along the way.   

Q: What has been your biggest challenge?

A: My ideas are always bigger than my ability to execute them, or my budget to pay to make them happen!  

Q: What excites you the most about the future of your business?

A: Our dream is that wherever there are give-back mindset business veterans with a desire to stay involved, that we can build their skills and help them to establish and develop a LoCo Think Tank chapter in their community.  We believe there is a nearly unlimited supply of potential facilitators, which means that our brand of value driven peer advisory could play an impact role in the lives of hundreds or thousands or even more business owners over time.

Catie from Amara Massage Therapy

Q: What has been your biggest achievement as Amara Massage Therapy & Wellness owner?

A: I would say my biggest achievement has been curating a group of team members whom I consider to be some of the best massage therapists in the State of Colorado. Ultimately, you are only as great as the folks you surround yourself with, and I am blessed beyond measure to work with a highly professional and educated team of providers and customer service specialists.

Q: If you could go back in time, what would you tell yourself as you were starting?

A: I would tell myself to take one day at a time, don't be afraid to ask for help and make time to celebrate the small and big victories along the way.

Q: What excites you the most about the future of your business?

A: I believe that what were creating at Amara is revolutionary in a sense, because it's not at all the status quo for our industry. I'm excited to further grow our model towards pathways of movement, education and additional cutting edge, evidence informed services. 

Mary from NerdyMind Marketing

Q: What was your inspiration for starting NerdyMind Marketing?

A: I had been doing digital marketing, design, and even some light web development at all of my jobs for about 10 years, and I was ready to start sharing my expertise with small businesses of all kinds. I was really inspired by VARIETY. All of my jobs held me to focus on one industry/sector. I knew that if I started my own marketing company, my curious business mind would be constantly learning with unique, varied, industry-focused marketing challenges. Plus, I know how much snake oil is out there around digital marketing (particularly) and web development. A lot of companies truly rip people off and take advantage of their knowledge over a business owner’s lack thereof, and I wanted to put some effort into making this industry great again. We focus on offering an authentic boutique experience that nurtures true partnerships (we don't use that word lightly).

Q: How do you personally like to support Small Businesses?

A: Just by being honest and offering authentic information. Not everything works, and everything is an experiment. My way to support small business is to remain one, and always be aware of the challenges that we face. NerdyMind doesn’t plan to become an enterprise business - we stay small on purpose so that we can be selective and work with people who are serious about collaborating on digital marketing, strategic website redesigns, and app development.

Q: What piece of advice would you give to other Small Businesses?

A: Don’t paint yourself into a corner. You are going to learn SO much in your first 5 years. Keep your business planning light and don’t feel like you have to stick to your original vision. Be flexible. Explore. Have fun!