 The president's proclamation was issued on the eve of the U.S. Small
Business Administration's observance of National Small Business Week
in Washington, D.C. (April 23-24), which will honor the nation's
most outstanding entrepreneurs and culminate with the selection of
the National Small Business Person of the Year for 2007 from among
the 53 state small business winners, including the District of
Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam."Every day, our nation's small
businesses help enhance the lives of our citizens and lead the way
in an economy distinguished by low unemployment, sustained job
creation and one of the fastest growth rates of any major
industrialized nation," the president said in his proclamation.
"Small businesses are the lifeblood of cities and towns across the
country, and we salute small-business owners, entrepreneurs and
employees for enhancing our communities and expanding opportunities
for all. The hard work and ingenuity of our nation's small-business
men and women are helping to sustain America's economic strength.
"To help extend our nation's prosperity, my administration is
committed to continuing the pro-growth economic policies that
encourage enterprise and make America the best place in the world to
do business," President Bush said. "Our economy has created more
than 7 million new jobs since major tax relief was enacted in 2003,
and we are working to keep taxes low to help small businesses
continue to expand. We are taking steps to make health care more
affordable and available for small-business owners and employees by
encouraging health savings accounts, supporting association health
plans legislation and proposing a standard tax deduction for health
insurance.
"My administration is also committed to ensuring that small
businesses can compete in the global economy. By continuing to
expand trade, we can open new markets for American products, lower
prices for consumers and create better American jobs."
The full text of the president's National Small Business Week
proclamation is available at
www.whitehouse.gov.
During SBA's observance of National Small Business Week, more
than 100 outstanding small-business owners from around the country
will be honored at award events that will focus on the achievements
of America's top entrepreneurs. The two-day conference will focus on
small-business accomplishments, including disaster recovery, federal
contract procurement and entrepreneurial success.
Four major award events will take place, culminating Tuesday with
the announcement of the National Small Business Person of the Year.
For more information about SBA's observance of National Small
Business Week and for a complete
list of all of the state Small
Business Persons of the Year, visit
www.sba.gov/sbw.
[To download Adobe Acrobat Reader for the PDF
file, click here.]
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 "The state and regional winners who will be a part of this event
personify the entrepreneurial spirit that is vital to the growth of
the American economy," said SBA Administrator Steven C. Preston.
"They are an innovative and diverse group involved in technology,
manufacturing, retail, construction, professional services and a
host of other industries. We are proud to have them here in
Washington, and we are proud to have helped many of them achieve
their business success."
Besides naming the National Small Business Person of the Year and
two runners-up, SBA will honor Small Business Champion Award
winners, people who have distinguished themselves by their advocacy
on behalf of women-owned, minority-owned and veteran-owned small
businesses. Champion awards will go to a small-business journalist,
financial services person and home-based business representative who
contribute to small-business development, as well as to an exporter,
young entrepreneur and family-owned business. The National SCORE
Chapter of the Year will also be honored.
The Phoenix awards will recognize a public official, a business
owner and volunteers whose efforts have enabled their businesses or
communities to recover successfully from a disaster. Several
financial institutions will receive the Lender Award for their
efforts in using SBA loan programs to support the growth of small
businesses.
SBA will also award a number of honors in the area of federal
contracting, including the National Prime Contractor of the Year and
the National Subcontractor of the Year. Other procurement awards
will recognize government officials and prime contractors who have
excelled at involving small businesses and women-owned small
businesses in their procurements.
Small Business Week 2007 is co-sponsored by the following
organizations: SCORE, Sam's Club, IBM, BAE Systems, MasterCard,
Raytheon, Orbitz, National Association for the Self-Employed,
National Association of Small Business Investment Companies,
Association of Small Business Development Centers, Small Business
and Entrepreneurship Council, National Association of Women Business
Owners, Women Impacting Public Policy, and National Association of
Government Guaranteed Lenders.
The U.S. Small Business Administration's participation in this
co-sponsored activity does not constitute an express or implied
endorsement of any co-sponsor's, donor's, grantee's, contractor's or
participant's opinions, products or services. All SBA programs and
co-sponsored programs are extended to the public on a
nondiscriminatory basis.
[Text from file received from the
U.S. Small Business Administration]
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