Earlier this month, we celebrated Small Business Week, which is organized annually by the Small Business Administration (SBA). As we are all keenly aware, small businesses play a critical role in the U.S. economy. This annual celebration serves not only as a platform for recognizing the accomplishments of small business owners but also as an opportunity to foster awareness of the resources available to them. Small businesses account for a significant percentage of job creation and economic growth, making their success vital to community development and overall economic stability.

The Amherst Chamber of Commerce took advantage of this opportunity to highlight the importance of small businesses in our area and within our membership. The past few weeks, if you visited any of our social media platforms, you would have seen the Chamber hearing the stories of several business owners in our area, including Joel Schreck, owner of Share Kitchen and Bar Room, Krista Sobon, owner of Spruce on Main, Jackie Lennert, owner of Rove Jewelry Accessories & Gifts, Ellie Grenauer, co-owner of the Glen Park Tavern. These businesses and their owners are well known throughout our community and work tirelessly every day to make a meaningful impact on our economy. We also met with Village of Williamsville Mayor, Christine Hunt, to hear about the village's efforts in supporting our small businesses and the launch of their new app, allowing residents and visitors to explore all the village has to offer. These stories are still on our social media pages, and I encourage you to take a few minutes to view them if you haven't already.

In honor of Small Business Week, there is no better time for the Chamber to announce our upcoming Small Business Awards Luncheon & Showcase taking place June 25^th at Buffalo Marriott Niagara (off Millersport Highway). Due to this event's overwhelming success, we needed to move to an even larger space as we anticipate over 60 businesses on hand for our small business showcase before our awards luncheon. During the luncheon, we will acknowledge several award recipients who continue to serve as shining examples of exemplary businesses in our area.

• Our Family-Owned Business of the Year recipient belongs to Bridal Chateau, a third-generation bridal store in Williamsville.
• Strokes Painting and Contracting, founded by Danielle Bickel, is our Woman-Owned Business award recipient.
• Share Kitchen and Bar Room, located in the Village of Williamsville, is our At-Your-Service award recipient.
• Larry Mietus, founder of Speaking of Strategy, is our Friend of the Chamber award recipient. Larry continues to be a tremendous advocate of the Chamber and has volunteered his time with our Emerging Business Leaders Council by helping to lead the mentorship program within our Leadership program.
• In conjunction with their tenth anniversary in business, the Chamber is proud to announce that StaffBuffalo is our Small Business of the Year winner. Their nomination to our committee highlighted the tremendous growth this small business has enjoyed, along with their community engagement, podcast, and recently announced Best Places to Work by Business First.
• The KeyBank Sponsor’s awardee is TBrothers Renovations, and they are ready to service your next bathroom or kitchen remodel! READ MORE