In case you missed it this has been National Small Business Week, and I’ve been celebrating on Twitter. Every day this week I’ve Tweeted ways to celebrate small business — both yours as well as others in your community.
As small business owners who also happen to work exclusively with small business owners, I’d say every week is Small Business Week as far as we’re concerned at Synergy. Regardless, here’s our list of 50 ways to celebrate the small-yet-mighty businesses in your life:
- Raise your kids to be entrepreneurs.
- Figure out how to use Pinterest for your business.
- Visit your favorite historic Main Street district.
- Gain new respect for the role of great sales people.
- Eat at one of your favorite independent restaurants.
- Start a co-working space for entrepreneurs in your town.
- Move your money out of big banks and into your local economy!
- Learn to manage your time so you can run your business better.
- Begin succession planning for your family-owned business.
- Send your favorite small-business owner a handwritten note.
- Figure out what small business “time zone” you live in.
- your local credit union.
- for your small business.
- Try to limit your shopping at big box retailers.
- Understand how your business fits into your retirement plan.
- Find out what your business is worth!
- Visit your local farmer’s market.
- Check out some of the best business books.
- Plan to exhibit at an industry .
- Protect your local historic Main Street district.
- Follow these rules for kids joining the family business.
- Consider buying an existing business.
- Say “yes” to doing a podcast. (I finally did.)
- Learn how to diagnose what’s wrong with your business.
- Learn 4 ways to grow your small business.
- Consider starting your next business as a co-op.
- Learn the secret to managing people.
- Support a fellow entrepreneur with a micro-loan.
- Visit your local independent bookseller.
- Figure out how to attract new business.
- Make sure your business has a disaster plan in place.
- Determine whether or not you are really a strategist.
- Get hooked up with a business mentor.
- Get control of your Email inbox.
- Visit your favorite independent coffee house.
- See if an ESOP might be the right exit strategy for you and your company.
- Support your local chamber of commerce.
- Conquer your irrational fear of numbers.
- Invest within 50 miles of where you live.
- Learn how to .
- Take the first step in knowing if your business is sellable.
- Avoid the top 10 rookie mistakes of entrepreneurship.
- Find out how business-friendly your city/state is.
- Compare your margins against benchmarks in your industry.
- Learn how to become an expert.
- Eat a burger at your favorite local diner, drive-in or dive.
- Learn how to talk about business with your spouse.
- Know what to outsource in your business.
- If you own a small business, take a vacation this summer!
- Shop small all year long!
How do you celebrate small business? We’d love this list to be even longer!
Barbara,
This is a great post – lots of great links. Some info: I like to use handwritten notes (#10); I am a ‘strategist’ (INTJ #32).
Jim
Barbara, goodness your eyes are blue in that picture!
I celebrate small business by reminding them that they usually started their business to have more control, freedom, and money. If they made the jump and those things aren’t true, I try to help by leading them through the process of fixing that.
The other thing I do is tip well at small business non-chain resaurants. Just because the bill is $9 at a Waffle House vs. $60 at an upscale steak place, the waiter/waitress worked just as hard.