Small Business Appreciation week is this week, May 5th - May 11th. This is an opportunity to celebrate small businesses and entrepreneurs for their contributions and the investment they have made to the economy. According to the Statistics of United States Businesses (SUSB), in 2015 US small businesses employed 58.9 million people, which is 47.5% of the private workforce. Chances are that you, or someone you know, has owned a business. Your ideas and perceptions of what it means to own your own business probably came through that relationship.
 
    Mine certainly did. As a kid, I was surrounded by entrepreneurs. One uncle had a small shop that produced handmade leather goods, another had a carpet and tile business, another had his own specialized painting business, and another was a skilled stone mason. The greatest influencer, though, was from my mother who owned a specialty floral shop. Needless to say, I was surrounded by that entrepreneurial spirit. I was also fortunate to be exposed to all their trials, tribulations, successes and feelings of accomplishment that comes with owning a business. I saw all the highs and lows, but there was nothing like seeing them experience that natural high of accomplishment after working through long endless hours, overcoming numerous challenges, and watching as it all came together and in each case resulted in successful businesses. They had to work hard everyday, but when things came together they experienced great joy in that feeling of accomplishment right then and there for that moment in time...because tomorrow it starts all over again. That’s the real reality of a small business owner.
 
Work hard, be productive, and above all else stay positive.
 
Peggy White
Executive Director
Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce
peggywhite@pulaskichamber.info