It seems hard to believe that May is almost here. While some people are thinking about wedding and grad season, those of us who serve as the Voice of Business have our minds on another type of celebration.
Each May, communities across the country celebrate Small Business Month—a time to recognize the large contributions of small businesses to local economies and the national marketplace. For chambers of commerce, this month offers an unparalleled opportunity to spotlight members, engage with the broader community, and reinforce the chamber’s role as a key advocate and connector for small business success.
What Is Small Business Month?
Small Business Month is a nationwide celebration that honors the innovation, resilience, and impact of small businesses. Spearheaded by the U.S. Small Business Administration and bolstered by local initiatives, it usually coincides with National Small Business Week during the first week of May. Throughout the month, chambers, economic development organizations, and municipalities shine a spotlight on the people who run small businesses and the communities they serve.
With small businesses accounting for over 99 percent of all U.S. businesses and employing nearly half of the private workforce, the importance of their contributions cannot be overstated. They create jobs, fuel innovation, provide vital services, and serve as the heartbeat of local culture and community identity.
But Small Business Month is more than just a time for appreciation—it’s an invitation for activation. Chambers can play a leading role in helping small businesses gain visibility, grow their reach, and feel seen and supported.
8 Ways to Celebrate Small Business Month
Here are several ways you can celebrate Small Business Month. Plus, we’ve suggested some possible community partnerships to help maximize your impact.
1. Launch a “Shop Local” Campaign
A Shop Local campaign is a classic chamber initiative for a reason—it works. Even if you promote Shop Local year round, it’s smart to tie it into the Small Business Month messaging.
During Small Business Month, this campaign can include promotional materials, window decals, social media toolkits, and a digital directory or map of participating businesses.
You can also create a themed campaign like “31 Days of Local” and feature a different small business every day on your chamber’s social media. Pair these posts with consumer incentives, such as contests or giveaways, to drive more traffic to member storefronts.
Possible community partners:
- Downtown business associations
- Local tourism boards
- Print and digital media outlets
- Local banks or credit unions for sponsorship
2. Host a Small Business Awards Ceremony
It might be difficult to pull this all together in less than a week, but it’s something you can put in your files for next year because recognition is powerful.
Organize a Small Business Awards event to honor standout members in categories such as Innovation, Longevity, Emerging Entrepreneur, Community Impact, and Customer Service Excellence. It can be a standalone event or tied to an existing networking mixer or luncheon.
If you don’t have the bandwidth for a full event, consider a virtual awards series with pre-recorded videos and public voting online.
Possible community partners:
- Local colleges or universities (for judging panels or sponsorships)
- Elected officials or city government (to present proclamations or recognition)
- Corporate sponsors (to underwrite awards or event costs)
3. Facilitate a Local Business Passport Program
Create a business “passport” booklet or digital check-in system where residents visit participating businesses throughout the month to earn stamps or digital checkmarks. Completed passports can be turned in for a prize drawing or exclusive discount.
This encourages people to explore businesses they may not be familiar with and creates a fun, interactive way to support shopping locally.
Possible community partners:
- Local tech startups or app developers (to help with digital tracking)
- Print shops or schools (to design and distribute physical passports)
- Public libraries or community centers (as distribution and collection points)
4. Offer Free or Low-Cost Business Workshops
Education is empowerment and something that everyone needs, but not everyone can afford from a time or cost perspective.
Hosting or partnering on a series of professional development workshops during Small Business Month gives your members tools they can use immediately to improve their operations.
Topics might include digital marketing, customer service training, hiring best practices, time management, or leveraging AI and automation. Aim for short, impactful sessions—either in person or online.
Possible community partners:
- Local small business development centers (SBDCs)
- SCORE chapters and mentorship groups
- Community colleges or adult education centers
- Local software companies or consultants
5. Coordinate a Local Media Blitz
Visibility matters. Reach out to local news outlets, radio stations, podcasts, and community publications to pitch small business success stories. Provide human interest angles and make it easy for media outlets to run features with high-quality photos, ready-to-publish quotes, or access to interview subjects. An interesting tie-in might be how tariffs may or may not impact local businesses. (I’ve already seen one local business talk about her plentiful stock and how she won’t have to raise prices to meet costs because she has plenty of stock before she might be impacted. Could be a big selling point for local businesses, if they are in the same position.)
You can also run a “Faces of Small Business” campaign that includes posters around town or a blog series on your chamber’s website.
Sheila McCarthy Webster shared that at her chamber, “We kick off Small Business Week with a media event and proclamation featuring several local elected officials. We hold this event each year at a small business. This year our staff will do ‘walk-about’ through almost every village and city in our county stopping in at small businesses every day just to say thank you for running a small business. We will give out seed packets that say ‘Grow with us’ attached to door hangers (so we can leave them even if a place is closed.) Throughout the whole month we are encouraging our members to refer new members and incentivizing the current members with Chamber advertising on our website and in our email newsletter, as well as tickets to some of our events.”
Possible community partners:
- The local press or community paper
- High school or college media students for content creation
- Local photographers or videographers seeking exposure
6. Organize a Small Business Resource Fair
Pull together local service providers and organizations that support small businesses—banks, insurance agencies, HR consultants, marketing firms, and more—for a one-day resource fair. Include short educational panels, tabling opportunities, and on-site consultations.
Frame it as a one-stop-shop for small business owners looking to grow, streamline, or solve a challenge.
Possible community partners:
- SBA and local lending institutions
- Legal clinics and accounting firms
- Business service providers
- Utility providers or internet service companies
- Economic development agencies
7. Advocate for a Citywide Small Business Proclamation
Work with your city council or mayor (the governor’s office is also likely involved on a state level and may be able to send you a copy of the proclamation) to pass a formal resolution or proclamation recognizing May as Small Business Month. Publicly reading or presenting the proclamation at a chamber event or city meeting adds visibility and elevates the importance of the initiative.
Use this as an opportunity to further your chamber’s advocacy work by reminding officials of the importance of small-business-friendly policies.
Possible community partners:
- City government
- Local business districts or merchant associations
- Business-friendly elected officials
8. Celebrate Internally and Share Impact
Don’t forget to measure and share the impact of your efforts. Track how many businesses participated, how much reach your campaign had on social media, and how many residents engaged. Capture testimonials, photos, and quotes to build a story you can retell all year long.
Use Small Business Month as a stepping stone to build deeper relationships with your small business members—and to show nonmembers what chamber support really looks like in action.
Small Business Month: Celebrate and Empower
Small Business Month is not just another event on the calendar—it’s a meaningful opportunity to energize your community, bring stakeholders together, and position your chamber as the go-to resource for local business success. Celebrating small businesses can strengthen your chamber’s role in shaping a thriving, resilient local economy.
And that’s worth celebrating all year long.
