The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s “Small Business Week” will continue in the commonwealth through Saturday, May 6.
DCED executive deputy secretary Neil Weaver announced the weeklong celebration, which is intended to put a spotlight on a vital economic sector.
“Our office is responsible for more than $1.5 billion in small business loans and grants,” said Weaver. “And, Small Business Week will bring this to the attention of startups and established small firms.”
Weaver outlined the importance of small businesses.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy,” he said. “There are 1.2 million small businesses in Pennsylvania, with 2.5 million employees. Small companies created 24,000 new jobs for the state in 2016.”
Weaver hopes that Small Business Week will educate the public about the economy and bring awareness to the many programs that are available through his office.
“We need to let them know not only about funding opportunities, but also about networking with suppliers and compatible businesses.”
International marketing is also done though the DCED office. Weaver is crisscrossing the state to deliver this message.
State Sen. Wayne Langerholc, R-Richland Township, spoke on behalf of elected officials.
“We need to remember who signs the pay checks, who takes the risk. Small businesses tell me their stories and I realize it isn’t easy to succeed,” Langerholc, of Cambria County, said. ‘These are the types of jobs that we mean when we say ‘family-sustaining jobs.’”
Weaver added that small businesses account for about 50 percent of Pennsylvania’s private workforce.
The federal Small Business Association uses Pennsylvania Small Business Week as an opportunity to recognize the entrepreneurs and small business owners who have a major impact on the U.S. economy.
The SBA reports that more than half of all Americans either own or work for small businesses and they create about two out of every three new jobs in the United States.
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