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While researching this important celebration, I had to find out who and why

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we are spotlighting small businesses. I have some amazing people I want you to meet and their advice for small business

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owners. But first, how did all this start?

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President John F. Kennedy enacted the proclamation to celebrate small businesses

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every year on the first week of May.

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According to the SBA, small businesses generate over 60% of net new jobs,

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while their share of employment is less than 50%. What is a small business?

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The SBA Office of Advocacy generally defines a small business as an independent

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business with fewer than 500 employees.

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The significance of Small Business Week, a historical perspective.

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Remember, every big business starts small. Small Business Week celebrates this

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spirit of growth and entrepreneurship. Ben Franklin was our best-known early entrepreneur because he knew how to commercialize

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his ingenuity, first as a printer and then as a newspaper man.

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Many people don't realize how much risk there is when you decide to strike out on your own.

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That day you walk away from a guaranteed paycheck, getting a loan from the bank,

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your first sale to a stranger, hiring your first employee, the sweat from trying

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to make payroll, and all while keeping a positive face for the business.

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Even after I had become the retail doctor with a following and had spoken at

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significant conferences, my mother would ask at Sunday dinner,

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Are you still doing that speaking thing? She worked as a school teacher for nearly 50 years.

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The freedom another path could afford, someone did not compute. Three milestones.

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Reflecting on 50 years of Small Business Week. Each milestone is a testament

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to the tenacity and ingenuity that drive our small business community.

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In the 1800s, shopkeepers went from bartering for goods to systems of credit,

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which allowed upwardly mobile consumers to buy more.

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In 1953, the U.S. government created the Small Business Administration as an

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independent entity to fund and educate potential and current small business owners.

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In 2020, the Paycheck Protection Program, established by the CARES Act,

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was implemented by the SBA. This program provided small businesses with funds for up to eight weeks of payroll

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costs, including benefits during the pandemic.

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The economic impact of small businesses on the national economy.

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Think big, yet act small. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. According to the Small Business

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Administration, small companies generate 1.5 million jobs annually,

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accounting for 64% of new jobs in America.

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Small businesses also contribute 44% of the U.S. economic activity.

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So as the number of new businesses grows, so does their economic contributions.

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Inspiring stories from small business owners. With two podcasts,

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a popular blog, and my work as a business consultant, I've gathered these three

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stories to share of entrepreneurs who embody small businesses' strength, grit, and optimism.

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Naples Soap Company, Deanna Wallin, founder. View this post on Instagram,

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a post shared by Naples Soap Company at Naples Soap.

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Deanna Wallin's emotional journey through significant personal and professional

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challenges highlights her resilience, leadership, and deep commitment to her

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business and community. She shared several stories throughout this podcast.

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Starting out, Deanna was a nurse and later worked in medical sales,

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which she found cutthroat. Post-divorce and approaching 40, she felt out of

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place as a female in her field. Transition to retail, a friend suggested she open a store next to hers in a tourist area.

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Another friend pointed out her large collection of soaps and lotions at home,

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which led to the idea of selling natural soaps due to her and her daughter's

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struggles with skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis.

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Early success. She began in a 300-square-foot space, quickly expanded due to

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demand, and established trust with customers by leveraging her nursing background

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to discuss skin care, which led to the business's rapid growth.

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Hurricane impact and response. Deanna described her experience during a major

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hurricane that hit on her birthday. She watched as the storm caused extensive damage, describing it as sitting down

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at her dinner table and refusing to leave.

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Immediate aftermath. She found her warehouse roof in the parking lot,

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significantly impacting her operations.

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Deanna was deeply involved in the recovery, ensuring her team was safe and cared

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for, which included relocating operations, salvaging what they could,

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and managing customer service amidst chaos.

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Recovery and reopening. Despite the extensive damage, Deanna and her team managed

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to reopen three stores within 67 days post-hurricane, showing resilience and

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a strong commitment to her community and business.

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Just as they were recovering, a drunk driver crashed through one of their newly

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repaired buildings on Black Friday. Reflections on retail and community support.

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Deanna emphasizes the importance of being there for her staff and community,

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comparing disaster support to putting on an oxygen mask before helping others.

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Customer support. she appreciated the community's response as people supported

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her business by placing orders and sending notes of encouragement,

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which helped them to keep going. Eklund's Farm Machinery, Billy Eklund. Billy's story captures the emotional

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journey of revitalizing a family business, the challenges of change,

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and the gratification of seeing those efforts appreciated by customers,

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leading to immediate business success. Billy Eklund's story revolves around the transformative journey of Eklund Farms,

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especially the changes made to their farm machinery store, with my guidance.

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Initial state, Billy's grandfather started the store in 1950.

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Initially, it was cluttered, resembling a warehouse with parts and shelves that

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made navigation difficult for customers. Transformation Goal The goal was to make the store more welcoming and organized

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so that customers would be impressed and find everything they needed easily.

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Consultation and Implementation We drew up plans for improvements.

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This collaboration led to significant changes in the layout and presentation of products.

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Immediate Impact After rearranging the store, particularly the front,

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where new tractors and UTVs were displayed differently, products began selling immediately.

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This change was so effective that customers thought the products were new additions.

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Extended efforts and team involvement. The transformation required long nights,

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with staff staying until 9 or 10 p.m.

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Billy highlights the dedication of his team, which pushed hard to implement

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the new changes. Customer reaction. action.

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After the makeover, customers were surprised and thought they were in the wrong

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building due to the dramatic improvements. The new store layout led to a better shopping experience and they doubled their sales within a year.

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Lifestyles of Saratoga, Heidi West. View this post on Instagram.

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A post shared by Lifestyles of Saratoga at Lifestyles of Saratoga.

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Heidi West's story paints a picture of a dedicated, innovative,

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and resilient business owner who has navigated the ups and downs of the retail

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industry while maintaining a strong connection with her community and staying

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true to her ethical values. use. Heidi shared several stories on my podcast, reflecting on her journey and insights

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into the retail industry. Here are the key stories and moments she shared.

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Background and early influences.

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Heidi's first job was at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center,

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where she worked in retail tents at a young age, handling transactions without

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any aids like calculators or registers.

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This experience taught her fundamental retail skills and fostered her love for

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the industry. Passion for fashion. From a young age, Heidi was intrigued by how clothes could alter perceptions

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and identities, shaping how people are treated and react in social settings.

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Career progression and business growth. Heidi attended the Fashion Institute

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of Technology in New York City, further solidifying her desire to pursue a career

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in fashion and retail. tale. Expansion of business. Over 30 years, Heidi successfully expanded her business,

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opening two additional brands near her original store, Lifestyles of Saratoga in Saratoga Springs.

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Philosophy and business approach. Heidi emphasizes the importance of understanding

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and listening to customers, which guides her purchasing decisions and store offerings.

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Sustainable fashion. She is committed to sustainability in fashion,

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choosing to partner with brands like Eileen Fisher that align with her values

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regarding environmentally responsible practices.

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Navigating vendor relationships. Heidi discussed the complexities of maintaining

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beneficial relationships with vendors, especially in the face of challenges

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like direct selling by vendors, which can undermine retail partnerships.

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Resilience and adaptation. Heidi illustrates her strategies for adapting to the changing retail landscape,

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Focusing on Community Engagement and Digital Presence Advice from Successful

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Retail Entrepreneurs In my role as a business consultant and my online training program,

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SalesRx, I get to work with many smart people.

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I often have them on my podcasts and videos.

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Here are three I think are super smart, who not only have smart advice,

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but you can follow their feeds on Insta. Tony Drocton, CEO of Hammett Manhattan Beach CA View this post on Instagram,

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a post shared by Hammett, From his interview on my podcast, importance of staff training and customer experience.

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I quickly learned that our first sales team for our retail store needed better

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selling skills for in-person interactions.

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The biggest feeling was walking into our retail store and not feeling the energy

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that I want for our customers. Simple and effective training modules. I fell in love with how basic and simple

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SalesRx was and easy to understand.

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Short timeframes, five, 15 minutes. Boom, boom, boom. Go, go, go.

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Leveraging old school skills. We were almost all wholesale three years ago when

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we shifted and I loved it because I was able to use the old school skills that

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I learned in my dad's little grocery store in Ohio,

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which was we carry the people's groceries out. You say hello. You say goodbye.

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You say, hey, you have to connect to them and welcome them back in.

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Tammy Ketterman, CEO, Ketterman's Jewelers, Leesburg, VA.

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View this post on Instagram. A post shared by Ketterman's Jewelers Leesburg.

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Listen to her interview on my podcast. Innovative event planning and customer engagement. With our Brighton line,

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we developed an event based on the movie The Greatest Showman,

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coinciding with the release of a handbag featuring a zebra, similar to the movie's theme.

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We rewrote some of the movie's song lyrics and performed them during the event,

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offering different showtimes throughout the day. This created a memorable experience that tied our products to an enjoyable event,

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leading to significant sales and lasting customer associations with our store

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whenever they hear those songs or see the movie.

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Significance of triggers in retail experience. Triggers are things that cause

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you to think of something else, like scents.

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Our store has an Asian mint scent that reminds people of Kettermans when encountering

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similar smells elsewhere. This sensory branding helps reinforce customer recall and loyalty.

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Additionally, using rum cakes as a special holiday treat has become a signature

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of our customer experience, making our brand memorable beyond just the products

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we sell. Well, community and relationship building.

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We've been cultivating deep relationships with our customers by not just treating

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them as transactions, but as part of our community.

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For instance, we send cards and gifts to our friends and family customers each

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holiday season, inviting them to visit and receive a special gift,

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such as a rum cake or a decorative item that represents our brand.

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This approach has turned our customer interactions into ongoing relationships.

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Increasing Loyalty and Repeat Business. Brian Trevilla, author of Leading in

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Retail, The Humor and Art of Retail Leadership, Chicago IL.

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Listen to his interview on my podcast, The Value of Mentorship in Retail.

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I would say training and even more mentoring were phenomenal at Montgomery Ward.

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They had long-term leaders who were vulnerable and took you under their wing.

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I had the honor to learn from some just unbelievable retail leaders.

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This has played out as I've taken other positions through other bigger box retailers

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where I've committed to mentor others as I was mentored.

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Performance management and empathy. I had a store leader who was really disconnected

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as we entered the holiday season. After persistent issues, I had to go to performance management,

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but I also showed a lot of empathy.

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When the store leader finally admitted to having major problems with the holidays

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due to family issues, I could relate and show empathy.

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Combining structured management with genuine personal concern,

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this approach eventually turned the situation around.

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The importance of role-playing in training. I love role-play,

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and I think I'm the only guy besides Bob I've met who loves to role-play.

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Everybody will tell you they hate it, but they really like it, and it makes you better.

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What you do in a role-play is exactly what you do with a customer.

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Practice doesn't make perfect, it makes it permanent.

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We're going to role-play, and I will probably make the first mistake.

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That levels the playing field, making it okay to be wrong in practice so you

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can be right with the customer. In sum, small businesses worldwide bring hope to those who leave their day jobs to follow a dream.

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Those same business owners provide jobs, training, and hope to those who work

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with them, and in turn to those shoppers who choose to shop with them.

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Take a bow this week, and remember how many people are pulling for you to succeed, including me.