This year’s National Small Business Week in the United States recognized one entrepreneur who turned her personal struggle with illness into a business to benefit the rest of humanity while others were celebrated for their individual ingenuity. As we say goodbye to another small business week, we also see how the focus here in the U.S. and abroad remains on entrepreneurship as one solution for addressing the challenges of the global economy.
Entrepreneurs Recognized
Personal trial inspired small business person of the year. Last week, Ohio native Victoria Tifft was named National Small Business Person of the Year by the Small Business Administration. After contracting malaria as a Peace Corps volunteer in Togo, she founded Clinical Research Management, a company supporting development of FDA-regulated vaccines, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices for government and commercial customers. The Washington Post
Small biz video creators honored for ingenuity. In this Google Hangout to commemorate the winners of a National Small Business Week video contest, winners are honored for their creativity and interviewed by Karen Mills, administrator of the Small Business Administration, about how SBA programs helped them and can help others. The White House
Small Business Stays the Focus
Political hopefuls court SMBs. The Obama administration’s efforts to court small business owners have been clear, but it winds up that it’s his opponent who leads in the polls. Small business leaders remain a critical constituency in the 2012 U.S. presidential campaign. CNBC
Where candidates stand on critical issues. Media coverage has focused repeatedly on where the two U.S. presidential hopefuls stand on policies that affect small business, and each campaign has pledged its candidate’s support. The attention speaks volumes about the importance of this segment at the national level. The Associated Press
Big business also pushes small biz agenda. Addressing attendees of the Zions Bank Trade and Business Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, last week, Carly Fiorina, former chairman and chief executive officer of Hewlett-Packard, stressed the need to invest in the long-term success of small business as the key to making the U.S. an economic leader worldwide. KSL.com
Entrepreneurship not just for 20-somethings. The SBA and AARP announced an alliance last week in support of “encore” entrepreneurs, those over the age of 50, who wish to start or grow a business. Through counselors and business mentors, the two organizations plan on training an estimated 100,000 men and women over 50 who are starting or running a business. SBA.gov
Why all the fuss?
Small business exports could save America. From Zippo Manufacturing Co. to DSC Dredge, a trend for hiring over here and selling over there is not covered much in the media these days. But these small businesses could be the salvation to the U.S. economy as they serve a growing global middle class. The Atlantic
Main Street excels in job creation. From 1992 to 2010, small businesses outperformed larger companies in job creation by 75 percent, according to a recent SBA study. It is estimated a new effort to extend credit to these small businesses via the Small Business Lending Enhancement Act could create 140,000 new jobs in its first year. Huffington Post
Small business will conquer the world. It’s no hyperbole, says business expert Steve Strauss, who insists that a variety of global trends like new markets and new technology have led to a world in which entrepreneurship can and must dominate the global economy. USA Today
Entrepreneurship defies even tough economies. Proving that entrepreneurship is stronger than the harsh economic realities, bad governmental policies, and combative social climates that sometimes that surround it, these Hungarian business leaders are thriving, even in the most inhospitable environments. The New York Times
Very inspiring. I hope to get on the big leagues soon. 🙂