Julia Jamieson's blog

National Small Business Week, which began on Sunday, April 29 and runs through Saturday, May 5, is a time to highlight the role small businesses play in our economy. Small businesses represent 99% of all employer firms and account for half of our nation’s jobs and economic output. Innovation by small businesses spurs growth throughout the entire economy and boosts prosperity in their local communities, and NSBW is an important time to celebrate these contributions. It’s also an important time to consider policies that can help facilitate entrepreneurial activity year-round.

A few years ago, Rachel Bernier-Green was looking for an outlet from the stress of her intense job at a multinational accounting firm and discovered a passion for baking. It didn’t take long before friends and family were encouraging her to sell her baked goods to the masses. Rachel founded ‘Laine’s Bake Shop, LLC in 2013 using a shared kitchen space, working on the side to get her business off the ground. After a few years of baking part-time, Rachel decided to finally quit her job and start a bake shop full-time with her husband Jaryd. 

April is often associated with spring cleaning and reorganizing, which means you finally made the time go through that overflowing junk drawer or to organize last year’s financial statements for the tax filing deadline. But when it comes to your finances, you can use this time to do more than just file your tax return documents thanks to the resources provided as part of National Financial Literacy Month.

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If not for his love of music, Lloyd Smith wouldn’t have a successful business selling neuroscience research equipment.

Lloyd, who originally had an interest in engineering, dropped out of his undergrad program after just one semester to pursue a career in music. Fortuitously, however, his then-bandmate worked in a neuroscience lab, sparking Lloyd’s interest in brain research, motivating him to return to school for neuroscience and eventually helping him find his new career path.

Candace Combs is a spa owner on a mission, working to heal her customers and make massage more accessible to her community.

“What we do isn’t designed just to relax you, but to physically help you,” Candace said. “People need massage in their lives.”

Throughout Women’s History Month, we celebrate the economic, social and political contributions that women make to our world. Women account for roughly half of the American workforce, attain higher levels of education than men and are an increasing share of primary or solo breadwinners. There is no doubt that for America to thrive, we must promote the economic empowerment of women. Central to women’s economic success is women’s entrepreneurship, which contributes significantly to overall economic growth and prosperity.

Miami-based entrepreneur Vivian Machado is blowing by the competition with her popular performance modification services for Ford, Chevy and Dodge trucks.

Small business owners Todd and Michelle Trotter are cleaning up Milwaukee’s buildings—and in the process extending a helping hand to its people.

Small business owner Christin Evans is writing the next chapter for two historic bookstores.

Christin, who holds a MBA and was a management consultant for A.T. Kearney, gave up her high powered but emotionally unfulfilling career more than a decade ago to seek a new challenge. She and her husband, Praveen Madan, took over the 40-year-old San Francisco bookstore Booksmith in 2007 and the 60-year-old Kepler’s Books in 2012—bringing new life to old ink, and in the process creating much more than just places to buy volumes.

David Arena is a small business owner who proves the road less traveled may sometimes be the road to success.

“I am not the most talented business owner out there, but I worked hard to get where I am,” said David.