By BC News Staff | May 4, 2026
RALEIGH — Governor Josh Stein has proclaimed May 3–9, 2026 as Small Business Week in North Carolina, honoring the more than one million entrepreneurs who power the state’s economy.
“North Carolina communities are energized by the one million small businesses that innovate, create jobs, and spur growth,” Stein said in the proclamation. “We reaffirm our commitment to supporting their success and resiliency by fostering opportunity in every corner of the state.”
Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley emphasized that small businesses employ nearly half of all private‑sector workers statewide and remain vital to local economies even amid shifting conditions.
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses make up 99 percent of North Carolina’s enterprises, employing 1.8 million people. More than 9,500 of those firms export goods, generating $8.8 billion in merchandise exports.
North Carolina’s recognition as 2025 Top State for Business underscores the strength of its entrepreneurial climate. Programs such as NCWorks Small Business Work‑Based Learning grants and the One North Carolina Small Business Program continue to provide training, nondilutive funding, and technical support for innovative companies. Over the past two decades, the One NC program has helped 520 firms create more than 2,000 high‑paying jobs and leverage $10 billion in follow‑on investment.
The state’s Rural Economic Development Division also supports small‑business growth through initiatives like the Rural Building Reuse Program, Main Street and Rural Planning Center, and the Creating Outdoor Recreation Economies (CORE) program, which has guided 26 communities in developing tourism‑based business strategies.
Following Hurricane Helene, the Commerce Department launched the Commercial District Revitalization Program and the Small Business Infrastructure Grant Program, awarding nearly $30 million to help western North Carolina recover. The WNC Strong: Helene Business Recovery Fund, backed by a $3.5 million Appalachian Regional Commission grant, provides rapid loans up to $100,000 for affected businesses.
Small Business Week highlights the collaboration among public agencies, colleges, and private organizations that offer mentoring, workforce training, and financial assistance through NCWorks, community college Small Business Centers, the Small Business and Technology Development Center, SCORE, and the Small Business Advisors hotline.
For more information or to view Governor Stein’s proclamation, visit the North Carolina Department of Commerce website.
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