Chamber’s Minute By The Shelby County Chamber: Celebrating the positive impact of small businesses in Shelby County

Each year during the month of May, several business organizations in Shelby County co-host our annual “Small Business Celebration.”

This May, six organizations in Shelby County — Calera Main Street, Chelsea Business Alliance, Columbiana Main Street, Montevallo Chamber of Commerce, Montevallo Main Street and The Shelby County Chamber — are collaborating on the 2022 Shelby County Small Business of the Year program.

Why is it important we celebrate small business here in Shelby County? The answer is pretty simple: Small business is the foundation of Shelby County’s — and each of our municipalities’ — economy.

Here are just a few facts regarding the impact that small business has nationally, statewide and locally here in Shelby County:

► Employs half of all private sector employees throughout the U.S.;

► Generates roughly 70% of new jobs annually;

► Pays 44% of the U.S. private payroll;

► Accounts for one of every 13 U.S. workers;

► Each year, entrepreneurs across the U.S. start or expand some 650,000 small businesses;

► Accounts for 99.4% of all businesses in Alabama;

► Employs 47% of the state’s private-sector workforce;

► Locally, 70% of our combined 1,400-plus investors (members) are companies that employ 15 or fewer people.

So, you can see why small business is so vitally important to our economy, our community and our organizations … and why we celebrate small businesses every year.

If you’d like to join us May 18 for the annual “Shelby County Small Business Awards Luncheon” where we will recognize all of our nominees in five categories (based upon number of employees) or find out more about our business development and support programming at The Shelby County Chamber, please feel free to give us a call at 205-663-4542 or visit our website, shelbychamber.org.

– Submitted by The Shelby County Chamber.