SBA Hosts National Small Business Week Awards, events will celebrate America's spirit of entrepreneurship

By Karen E. Spaeder

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

It's National Small Business Week--and you're invited.Starting today, the SBA will host a series of events at theRenaissance Washington, DC, Hotel, to celebrate small business andselect a Small Business Person of the Year from every state, theDistrict of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam. The award recognizesoutstanding small-business owners for their personal achievementsand contributions to the U.S. economy.

The theme for this year's celebration, "Small Business:Where America Works," is appropriate, given the events ofSeptember 11 and the economic uncertainty facing America. Some ofthe more notable events will include a tribute to 9/11 heroes,"Remembering September 11," with keynote speaker andDepartment of Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill; a forum withMichael Dell; and a discussion on retirement, "Closing theSmall Business Retirement Security Gap for Employers andEmployees," with Department of Labor Secretary ElaineChao.

Additional special awards will honor the SBA Young Entrepreneur,Small Business Exporter of the Year and the SBA EntrepreneurialSuccess winner (for a company that has developed into a largebusiness with the SBA's help). The National SCORE Chapter ofthe Year will also be honored.

For more on Small Business Week, go to http://smallbusinesssuccess.sba.gov. More informationon the winners of the various awards will be available later thisweek.

Karen E. Spaeder is a freelance business writer in Southern California.

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