It doesn’t get any better than having an entire week named in your honor, does it? Well, maybe winning a few million would top it. But it’s pretty great that small businesses in the U.S. get a little recognition now and then. Which is why I wanted to pass on the happenings during National Small Business Week, which will be next month, April 21-25. During that week, the nation's top entrepreneurs will be hailed at the U.S. Small Business Administration's National Small Business Week events in Washington, D.C., and New York City. This year marks the 55th anniversary of the agency, and the 45th annual proclamation of Small Business Week. Small business owners from across the country will be honored for their accomplishments as the nation's leading small businesses. The highlight of events will be the announcement of the National Small Business Person of the Year. National Small Business Week 2008 will begin with three days of events in Washington, D.C., at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, where more than 100 outstanding business owners from across the country will be recognized. In addition to the State Small Business Persons of the Year, men and women involved in disaster recovery, government procurement, small business champions as well as SBA partners in financial and entrepreneurial development will be honored. A focal point this year will be a series of executive panel forums on Health Care, International Trade, Energy, and Finance. In addition, there will be a procurement session with corporate buyers and prime contractors who will discuss small business partnering and mentoring opportunities for small businesses seeking government contracts. On April 24, Small Business Week moves to New York, where SBA will participate in the closing bell ceremony at NASDAQ to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Women's Business Center program. The program has served more than 650,000 new and growing small business owners in the past five years alone. An awards event celebrating the top small business lenders and a financial forum on community investment, cosponsored with the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, will culminate activities in New York. Small Business Week award winners will meet with top agency officials, congressional representatives and national business leaders. The State Small Business Award Winners and recipients of the Champion and other Entrepreneurial awards are nominated by local trade associations, chambers of commerce and business organizations and government agencies. Additional information on the Small Business Week 2008 events is available at http://www.sba.gov/sbw. If you’re interested in meeting other small business owners and entrepreneurs, attending events such as this serve as great opportunities. Enjoy your special week! | 
