This week marks the annual kickoff of National Small Business Week. It’s the biggest celebration of small businesses in the U.S.  This year the Small Business Administration (SBA) has decided to offer a virtual 3 day conference to launch National Small Business Week! If you are trying to build your brand online with Google, transition your business finances to the cloud or manage those pesky online reviews, they are a line-up of corporate presenters who are happy to tell you how their products and services can help you grow your business. The SBA is also broadcasting lots of content over their FB page this week so might want to tune in to get some tips and tricks to grow your business.

National Small Business Week was started in 1963 when, President Kennedy signed a proclamation announcing a dedicated week to celebrate and assist small businesses. Ever since then, events are hosted online and in major cities to bring together entrepreneurs and start-ups. Brands who invested in small businesses such as, VISA, Chase, Constant Contact, Google and Intuit are sponsoring live presentations.

The SBA is trying some new things this year to engage small business owners. Starting with the #SmallBusinessWeek Hackathon Friday to Sunday, April 27 to 29, Washington, D.C. SBA and Visa invite you to bring your ideas and your laptop to spend a weekend solving real business challenges as part of the kickoff of the National Small Business Week 2018. A $24,000 prize pool will be awarded to winning submissions.

They are also conducting a bus tour through several southern states this week to highlight some of America’s most outstanding business owners. Here’s the tour schedule.

Jacksonville, FL – May 1
Savannah, GA – May 1
Columbia, SC – May 2
Fayetteville, NC – May 2
Raleigh, NC – May 3

But wait there’s more…I’m doing a major event for National Small Business Week

See SmallBizLady LIVE on FB LIVE May 2 at 8pm ET

If you’re a fan of #SmallBizChat, now in it’s 9^th year, you know that every Wednesday from 8-9 pm ET, we invite on authors and small business experts to educate us on all things small business LIVE on Twitter. We’ve learned everything from how to generate leads to how to rebrand a business to how to put profit first, and lots more.

In honor of National Small Business Week this week, I will be hosting #Smallbizchat LIVE on my SmallBizLady Facebook page May 2 at 8pm ET. This extra-special #SmallBizChat will feature some great guests on the 1-hour broadcast, including:

Dawn Brolin, CPA
On #SmallBizChat LIVE she’ll help us understand the Trump Tax BIll, so that we’ll be prepared for next year’s taxes.

Dawn is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Fraud Examiner,  and CEO of Powerful Accounting, LLC.  Powerful Accounting is a nationally recognized accounting, tax, forensic and fraud, IRS and State Agency audit professionals as well as a QuickBooks consulting firm. Her firm can provide IRS Representation and Bankruptcy Accounting.

Alfred Edmund Jr.
On #SmallBizChat LIVE, he will give us actionable tips to help us build a sustainable business.

Alfred Edmond, Jr. is SVP/Executive Editor-at-Large of BLACK ENTERPRISE. He is a content leader, brand representative and expert resource for all media platforms under the BLACK ENTERPRISE brand, including the magazine, television shows, web site, social media and live networking events. He also hosts Money Matters, a syndicated radio feature of American Urban Radio Networks.

Garrett J. White
On #SmallBizChat LIVE, he will talk about how to reinvent your business and yourself.

Garrett J. White, is the founder of Wake Up Warrior, CEO of DKW Styling, Author of BE THE MAN & WARRIOR BOOK as well as host of the TOP Rated Pod Casts Warrior Wealth, Warrior On Fire and Date Your Wife. He is a 10 Figure Award winner with CLICKFUNNELS and has worked with thousands of men to tell the truth and transform from broke to rich, addicted to sober, unfaithful in marriage to faithful, depressed & suicidal to living with a purpose and playing it safe & good to going all in and living great. White had his own story of divorce, an estranged son, infidelity and losing every penny of a multi-million dollar empire before rebuilding himself, his marriage and starting the Wake Up Warrior Movement.

More exciting guests will be announced soon!

Additionally, we will have some fantastic giveaways and surprises during the chat, so this is one you don’t want to miss. If you tweet a question to one of my guests, that’s how you will qualify to win a prize. Mark your calendar for Wednesday May 2 and visit my SmallBizLady FB Page to watch the live stream. Also follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter for updates!

Small Business Administration: The SBA has a dedicated website for Small Business Week. Be sure to follow the hashtag #SmallBusinessWeek for more national small business week activities.

Make sure to check your local small business resources for freebies, workshops and special events! And I’ll “see” you on May 2 at 8 pm Eastern for #SmallBizChat live on Facebook!