Small businesses drive our economy

The global economy has been evolving. A new era for businesses has risen, leading to broader opportunities for developing disruptive ideas and changing the perspective of doing business.

Being an entrepreneur is an opportunity for innovation, growth and job creation. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, 99.9 percent of U.S. businesses are small businesses. They employ almost 48 percent of all U.S. workers.

The U.S. Small Business Administration defines a small business as an independent business having fewer than 500 employees. In Imperial County, all of our businesses fall within the small-business threshold. Given this, the advantage of promoting local small business is clear: It translates into economic growth, job creation and opportunities for our people.

If you are an entrepreneur in any field or industry: agribusiness, retail, technology, manufacturing or craft brewing, just to mention some, thank you! You are not only creating an income to sustain your business, your family and yourself. This impact transcends to more than you would ever imagine. Believing in your passion and idea is driving the world’s biggest economy, accounting for more than 24 percent of the world’s gross domestic product, according to the World Economic Forum.

Now that we know the importance and impact of being a small-business owner, why not consider becoming one? The U.S. Small Business Administration created a nationwide network of business assistance centers called the Small Business Development Center. The mission of these centers is to provide no-cost business counseling for startups and business owners. We are fortunate to have one of these centers locally, the Imperial Valley Small Business Development Center.

Becoming an entrepreneur or being a business owner could be challenging, but you are not alone. Our Imperial Valley needs you and your passion to change and grow our region as we always wanted to.