Presidential Message on National Small Business Week

For 250 years, American small businesses have been the foundation of our national strength and empowered our citizens to achieve the American Dream.  This National Small Business Week, we honor the entrepreneurs, innovators, and dreamers, whose pioneering spirit invigorates our culture, powers our economy, and lifts our communities to new heights.

From the manufacturers of the industrial era to the technology startups of today, American businesses have served as the cornerstone of our prosperity and fortified the strongest workforce in the history of the world.  Today, 36 million small businesses span every community of our country—from family farms to neighborhood storefronts—and employ more than 45 percent of our workforce.  These hardworking men and women bolster our growing economy through the sweat of their brow and a steadfast determination to forge a brighter future for themselves, their families, and our Nation.