The coming month of April is bound to be exciting for small businesses. First on the agenda is National Small Business Week. Next, the Kaua‘i Chamber of Commerce hosts the Small Business Expo, followed by the Kaua‘i U.S. Small Business
The coming month of April is bound to be exciting for small businesses.
First on the agenda is National Small Business Week. Next, the Kaua‘i Chamber of Commerce hosts the Small Business Expo, followed by the Kaua‘i U.S. Small Business awards luncheon honoring Kaua‘i winners. The month finishes with the celebration of the U.S. Small Business award winners for the state, held in Honolulu.
Why all the fanfare for small business? Well, small businesses (using the SBA definition of 500 or less employees) make up approximately 97 percent of all Hawai‘i employers and represent about 117,200 small businesses in the state.
Kaua‘i is pretty consistent with the state as a whole — on Kaua‘i, small businesses represent 90 percent of the marketplace, or 3,455 businesses. Additionally, 82 percent of the working population on Kaua‘i is employed by a small business.
Clearly, small businesses are a primary economic driver for the state and the county of Kaua‘i. These businesses are also an important part of our community, as the owners and their employees are our neighbors, friends and ‘ohana.
We all have good reason and strong incentive to nurture and support their success. Each time you buy a product or service from your local small business, you are showing your support in the most meaningful way — with your money! You’ve probably heard it all before, but it bears repeating: It is wise to buy from local small businesses because your money stays here in our community.
And there are other advantages. For example, in order for a small business to survive, it must be able to offer better products and services at competitive prices. Plus, they can really shine by offering outstanding customer service! They know who you are, your likes and dislikes, and are more likely to customize their products and services to meet your needs.
But that’s not all. Small businesses build our community. By this I mean that when you patronize Kaua‘i’s small businesses, you are improving our local economy, creating jobs, building our tax base, and keeping money flowing within our community.
It doesn’t stop there — by stimulating our local economy, you are also supporting our schools, fire and police departments, and other county services. And let’s not forget that keeping things local also means becoming more self-sufficient and sustainable as a community.
One might argue against small businesses by pointing to lower per unit costs at big stores. However, include the cost of gas, the wear and tear on your vehicle and the time you spend driving past the local small businesses to the big box stores in Lihu‘e and the costs begins to mount.
I realize that there are times when it is advantageous to shop at the large stores. What I am asking, though, is to think twice before ignoring your local merchants and to remember what they contribute to our community.
The events being held in the month of April, as noted earlier, indicate that our national and local leaders recognize the importance of small business. National Small Business Week begins April 21 this year with three days of events in Washington, D.C., where more than 100 small business owners from across the nation will be recognized, including representatives from Hawai‘i.
On April 22 the third annual Small Business Expo will be hosted by the Kaua‘i Chamber at the Hilton Kaua‘i Beach Resort. This all-day event is a wonderful opportunity for small businesses to learn about planning, marketing, cost-effective resources, and staff development. The expo is also a chance to network and exhibit products and services. (Incidentally, a scholarship program has been negotiated with Hawai‘i Maoli for 2007 NxLeveL graduates of Hawaiian ancestry — creating an exciting partnership and an explicit recognition of the importance of small business to the Hawaiian community.)
On April 23, the county and Chamber of Commerce will honor Kaua‘i’s U.S. SBA small-business awardees with a luncheon. Check www.kauaichamber.org for more information and registration forms for events.
Finally, the month wraps up with a celebration of the state’s U.S. Small Business award winners on April 30.
I am passionate about small businesses and their success in our community. With proper nurturing, mentoring, management and networking, small businesses will continue to be a vital part of our community — and a critical component of our future success. We each have a role to play in this success, and we each have a responsibility in this effort, for it is our community, our ‘ohana, our home.
• Diana Shaw is director of the Kaua‘i office of the Hawai‘i Small Business Development Center. She can be reached via e-mail at diana.shaw@hawaii-sbdc.org
