Sarah Mote
Marketing Director for SourceLink. Sarah helps shape the story and share the impact of entrepreneurial communities and their work they do to transform economies and change lives.
How can you rally your community around entrepreneurship? Use the buzz of national events to showcase your startups and small businesses—and then use technology—like an app or personalized community guide — to amplify your efforts.
Case in point: in May, communities celebrate entrepreneurship during National Small Business Week. Since 1963, this annual event sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) recognizes the impact of outstanding entrepreneurs and small business owners across the nation.
National Small Business Week has spawned a variety of smaller regional celebrations. Here are how three SourceLink affiliates are celebrating entrepreneurs in their communities.
Loudoun, Virginia
The Loudoun (VA) Department of Economic Development and its partners are celebrating their 6th Annual Loudoun Small Business Week, May 15–21, 2017. With 12 events already on the calendar, this year is jam packed with exclusive learning sessions, social mixers, awards programs, a film screening and ends with a regional farm tour.
This is the second year Loudoun Department of Economic Development has utilized its innovative Small Business Week app to further engage the entrepreneurial community in the week’s festivities. The app shares event locations and a listing of speakers along with a link to Loudoun’s Resource Navigator, blog and startup checklist for inspired event attendees.
Follow the Small Business Week happenings in Loudoun with the hashtag #LoudounSBW.
The Commons on Champa
The Denver Office of Economic Development at The Commons on Champa, a public work and collaboration space for entrepreneurs, created a guide to Small Business Week specifically for Denver business owners who are interested in or participating in Small Business Week. Not only does the guide give background information on Small Business Week, it also directs viewers to where they need to go to take full advantage of the week’s happenings.
IASourceLink
Already our network partners in Iowa over at IASourceLink have 10 events on the event calendar during Small Business Week including a two-day conference celebrating entrepreneurship called EntreFEST. IASourceLink also shared an article about Small Business Week in Iowa and how to fully participate in the week’s festivities from a local and national standpoint.
Want to join in on the national conversation? Follow the SBA on Twitter and participate in the #DreamSmallBiz chat.
Sarah Mote is the marketing director at SourceLink. Sarah brings her experience as an entrepreneur, storyteller and content strategist to help shape the story of SourceLink and that of our affiliate communities.
