Governor Roy Cooper has proclaimed May 1 - 7, 2022 as Small Business Week to celebrate America’s entrepreneurs and the impact of small businesses on North Carolina’s economy.
“From the mountains to the coast, small businesses are the backbone of our state’s economy,” Governor Cooper said. “As we emerge from this pandemic stronger than ever, we’re committed to providing the educated workforce and resources these entrepreneurs need to succeed.”
“Strong support for North Carolina’s diverse small businesses keeps our overall economy strong,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. “The innovation we see from the state’s small business community creates the new ideas, new products, and new jobs that lead to greater growth and prosperity for everyone in our state.”
Small Business Week celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit of small businesses across the state and country. In 2021, North Carolina had more than 964,000 small businesses, accounting for over 99 percent of businesses, with more than 1.7 million small business employees in the state.
In March 2022, state economists announced that the state has recovered to pre-pandemic employment levels and GDP. The North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Strategic Economic Development Plan, First in Talent, identifies key goals to prepare North Carolina’s workforce and businesses for success.
The North Carolina Department of Commerce’s One North Carolina Small Business Program helps tech-oriented small businesses by matching funds to federal technology grants those businesses have won previously. The program has been expanded to include funding to help North Carolina companies apply for the federal grants.
In December 2021, the North Carolina Department of Revenue launched the Business Recovery Grant program. The program provides a payment to eligible North Carolina businesses that experienced a significant economic loss due to the pandemic. The application for Phase 2 of the Business Recovery Grant program will be open from May 2, 2022 to June 1, 2022. Many business owners that did not qualify in Phase 1 are now eligible to apply in Phase 2.
North Carolina provides many services to small businesses through NCWorks, community college small business centers, the N.C. Small Business and Technology Development Center, the Veterans Business Outreach Center, the Rural Center and a toll-free information and referral service known as the Small Business Advisors hotline.
Read the proclamation.