Gov. Cooper Praises North Carolina Small Businesses' Resiliency

RALEIGH, NC — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper is encouraging residents around the state to celebrate the accomplishments of small businesses at a time when many independently owned and operated shops are still struggling with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

Cooper has designated this week Small Business Week as a way of highlighting the importance of these businesses, retailers and entrepreneurs that contribute so much to the state’s economy, the governor said in a news release.

Before the start of the coronavirus pandemic, North Carolina’s 934,000 small businesses accounted for 99 percent of all of the state’s employers. North Carolina Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders said that these small businesses generate more than $29 billion in total exports to the state’s trade industry and manufacturing reputation.

“As the backbone of our economy, small business owners and entrepreneurs are crucial pillars to North Carolina’s success,” Cooper said in a news release. “With much dedication even before the pandemic, the small business community has been the center of our economic prosperity from the mountains to the coast.”

North Carolina provides many services to small businesses through NCWorks, community college small business centers, the North Carolina Small Business and Technology Development Center, SCORE, the Veterans Business Outreach Center, the Rural Center and a toll-free information and referral service known as the Small Business Advisors hotline, the governor’s office said in a news release.

Public agencies, education institutions and private-sector organizations also assist small businesses with growth strategies and job creation by providing training for workers business mentoring opportunities, financial assistance, research, technical assistance, and export services.

“North Carolina’s diverse small businesses and innovative startups are the heart and soul of their communities as job creators and community builders,” Baker Sanders said in the release. “We are grateful for their enthusiasm and resilience and we remain committed to supporting their growth and success.”