National Small Business Week is underway once again. For over half a century, the occasion has been recognized by the President of the United States as a long-lasting and important aspect of American life. It only makes sense to mark the occasion because small businesses make up the bedrock of our nation and have allowed countless families to better their future. They represent the American Dream, and also demonstrate how free-market competition yields prosperity, which has built this country and drives our economy today.
In fact, 66 percent of net new jobs come from small businesses, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
“During National Small Business Week, we honor America’s entrepreneurs who take a risk on an idea, invest in their neighborhoods, and create jobs for others. Small business owners exemplify the American spirit by developing new ways to provide goods and services to consumers,” said President Trump in the most recent proclamation.
“America’s 30 million small businesses are central to our economy and our communities. Their courageous innovation makes our cities and towns vibrant places to live, work, and raise families. Small businesses employ almost 59 million workers, more than one-third of our country’s labor force,” the President continues.
Where does energy innovation fit in with small business? Everywhere. The United States created nuclear power, the shale gas revolution, perfected the internal combustion engine and brought down the technology costs of solar power, and more. These successes are demonstrative of the United States’ incredible capacity for technological innovation and marketing ingenuity, and small businesses are on the front lines of that movement.
New technology has made clean energy big news for nationwide job creation. Many companies have built their name on clean energy tech, creating a whole new area for economic growth. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the two fastest-growing jobs in the United States are solar photovoltaic installers and wind turbine service technicians.
State governments have witnessed the economic good that clean energy businesses have done for their residents. Now states have begun to pass policies that cater to further clean energy development in their regions. Oregon and Wisconsin are two of the latest who are looking to clean energy as an economic driver for small businesses.
This week is the perfect time to highlight clean energy’s pivotal role in developing small business in our country. If you are a small-business owner, expanding the clean energy capabilities of your company could be the next step towards a stronger bottom line.
CRES recognizes the thousands of small businesses in the clean energy sector and thank them for their contributions to our economy and a more secure energy future. All week, we will be highlighting just a few clean energy small-business success stories.
