Small Business News

National Small Business Week 2018 Events Start This Weekend

It’s once again time to celebrate National Small Business Week. This year the week officially runs from April 29th through May 5th, although some events are set to kick-off this weekend. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has a list of the events that will be happening throughout the week, ranging from contests and award ceremonies to seminars and chats.

One of the biggest Small Business Week events this year will be the #SmallBusinessWeek Hackathon. The Hackathon will take place in Washington D.C. from April 27th through the 29th and focus on creating various solutions to problems that many small businesses currently face. There will also be prizes for the winners of the Hackathon — $10,000 for the Grand Prize winner. Incidentally the event is being sponsored by Visa, which is notable since  — as many business owners are likely aware — the unofficial Small Business Saturday holiday was created by rival American Express. Visa will also be giving away $2,000 to the winner of their API Challenge.

Speaking of winners, there will be National Awards Ceremonies held on Sunday, April 29th, celebrating excellence in a number of areas. Some of the categories include SCORE Chapter of the Year, Jody C. Raskind Lender of the Year, Small Business Investment Company of the Year, and the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Excellence and Innovation Award among others. Additionally, on Monday, April 30th, the SBA’s Facebook page will announce the winners of such awards as Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year, Exporter of the Year, and their Small Business Persons of the Year.

As in previous years, there will also be a tour associated with Small Business Week that will highlight business owners in different cities across the country. Tour stops on this year’s route (mostly focused in the south-east) include Jacksonville, Florida (May 1st); Savannah, Georgia (May 1st); Columbia, South Carolina (May 2nd); Fayetteville, North Carolina (May 2nd); and
Raleigh, North Carolina (May 3rd).

Finally, the U.S. Small Business Administration and SCORE Association will be hosting a free three-day virtual conference, taking place Tuesday, May 1st through Thursday, May 3rd between 12:30 pm Eastern to 6:30 pm Eastern each day. Some of the topics to be covered during these special seminars include Addressing Discrimination and Harassment in the Workplace, Creating and Sustaining a Strong Social Presence, Simple Steps to Choosing the Right Financing, and many more. Registration for these free events is available here. If you can’t make it to one of the classes to hear what experts have to say on these topics, you can also check in on the National Small Business Week Twitter Chat taking place Friday, May 4th at 12 p.m. ET by using the hashtag #SmallBusinessWeek and following @SBAgov.

With National Small Business Week taking place next week, it’s a great chance for entrepreneurs and business owners to network with others, have some of the questions answered, and maybe even win some prizes. So be sure to take advantage of these events during Small Business Week 2018, April 29th through May 5th.

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