Business Bestsellers

SBA & RISCPA MESSAGES

EVERY YEAR DURING NATIONAL SMALL BUSINESS WEEK, the U.S. Small Business Administration recognizes the achievements of our nation’s 32.5 million small businesses and innovative startups. While the way we celebrate has changed over time, the sentiment is the same. National Small Business Week is a time for us to highlight the impact of outstanding entrepreneurs, small business owners, and others who support entrepreneurship across the country.

This year, we are focused on celebrating the resiliency and tenacity of our nation’s entrepreneurs who are powering our nation’s historic economic growth and who are helping to “Build a Better America through Entrepreneurship”.

I am especially proud of the achievements of this year’s Rhode Island Small Business Week Award Winners. These business owners demonstrate the hard work, drive, and determination of entrepreneurs across Rhode Island and across the nation. They have proven their staying power, created jobs, shown response to adversity during unimaginable setbacks, and given back to their communities through their businesses and on their own time. For the last two years, these small businesses have faced uncertainty, disruptions, and hardships on an unprecedented scale. Yet, they have overcome these challenges and achieved hard-won successes, innovating, and creating new ways to serve customers, support workers and sustain our communities.

As we continue to face unique challenges together, it is important for us to recognize the crucial role businesses like these play every day in building a strong and vibrant country.

I am happy to recognize these small business giants and their impact on our economy and in our communities.

Congratulations to the SBA Rhode Island Small Business Week Award Winners!

Sincerely, Mike Vlacich New England Regional Administrator U.S. Small Business Administration

FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS as District Director in Rhode Island, I have had the privilege of meeting countless local small businesses that have truly amazing stories. Over the past 2 years, with COVID being such a big part of everyone’s life, the stories of perseverance and success resonate even deeper in all of us. No matter the industry, the stories of small businesses adapting, surviving, and thriving despite everything going on continue to pour in.

This year during National Small Business Week, we celebrate 11 small businesses, advocates, and champions, all of whom have stepped up to the plate and done everything they can to help their business and others in the most trying of times. They are some of the best of what Rhode Island has to offer.

Approximately 99% of businesses in Rhode Island are considered small by SBA size standards. Almost 100,000 small businesses employ over 50% of all Rhode Islanders. These are our friends, our neighbors, people we see every day in the community that they help shape around us. The importance of the small business community cannot be overstated, as it continues to be the backbone of our economy.

As we celebrate National Small Business Week from May 2-6, I encourage you to visit your local small businesses. Get to know these remarkable people and their stories. Make sure you “Shop Small” whenever you can and buy local. Supporting our friends and neighbors rather than big box stores and large corporations helps ensure that approximately 67 cents of every dollar spent as these small businesses stays in our local communities, as opposed to a national chain store, where only 47 cents of your dollar stays in the community.

Lastly, I would like to congratulate our incredible awardees. Thanks to entrepreneurs and advocates like them, the Ocean State continues to thrive, and we can show the entire country and the world just how great Little Rhody truly is.

Sincerely, Mark S. Hayward SBA District Director RISCPA/RI BUSINESS FORUM is honored to partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration, Rhode Island District Office, for the 2022 Salute to Small Business. Small businesses are the cornerstone of Rhode Island’s economy – the resilience shown by this year’s winners is why our business climate remains stronger than ever. The perseverance they have shown in spite of disruptions brought on by the rapidly changing global landscape is a testament to their determination to succeed. They define the spirit of the American dream and play a critical role supporting jobs, strengthening our communities, and improving our quality of life.

RISCPA/RI Business Forum recently presented Mark S. Hayward (U.S. Small Business Administration District Director, Rhode Island) with our first ever Industry Champion Award for the unprecedented assistance and support he gave to Rhode Island’s business community throughout the crisis. Most of us have worked with Mark for years, but his tenacity and fierce commitment to help the Rhode Island business community overcome economic challenges during that time was a source of inspiration for all of us. He worked tirelessly day and night to ensure business owners had the information, resources and assistance they needed to apply for the numerous grant programs; many credit Mark personally as the reason they survived. The extraordinary response from Mark and the entire team at the U.S. Small Business Administration Rhode Island District Office epitomizes the very definition of leadership.

On behalf of RISCPA/RI Business Forum, congratulations to the 2022 award winners – we stand firmly with the small business community and wish you continued success in the future.

Sincerely, Melissa Travis President & CEO, RISCPA