As National Small Business Week concludes, we celebrate the cornerstone of our economy: small businesses. Take Iowa as an example of a typical state in the Heartland, or North Carolina, where a growing tech corridor has given rise to thousands of small businesses, where small businesses comprise 99.3% of all enterprises and employ nearly half of the state’s workforce. This vibrant entrepreneurial spirit mirrors the nation’s, where small businesses drive innovation, create jobs, and fuel economic growth. Remarkably, every trillion-dollar company that dominates today’s global markets began as a small business with a bold idea, a determined founder, and a vision for something greater.
Consider the humble beginnings of America’s corporate giants. Apple, now valued at over $3 trillion, started in 1976 in Steve Jobs’ garage, where he and Steve Wozniak built the first Apple computer. Their mission to democratize technology transformed a small startup into a global leader. Similarly, Amazon, another trillion-dollar titan, began in 1994 as an online bookstore in Jeff Bezos’ garage. Its focus on customer convenience reshaped retail and cloud computing.
Microsoft, with a valuation exceeding $3 trillion, was founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, two young programmers crafting software to power personal computing. Their small venture became a cornerstone of modern technology. Alphabet, Google’s parent company, originated in 1998 as a dorm-room project by Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Their search engine evolved into a conglomerate leading in artificial intelligence and cloud services.
These stories embody the American Dream, as told by people like Maria Gonzales, who launched a bakery in rural Kansas with just her grandmother’s recipes and a food truck. Today, she employs 15 people and supplies regional grocery chains. “It started as a dream,” Maria says, “but in America, dreams come true if you’re willing to work for them.” born in small businesses across states like Iowa, where innovation thrives in communities large and small. The U.S. Small Business Administration reports that small businesses employ 46% of the nation’s private workforce and contribute 44% of economic activity. They are the testing grounds for big ideas, where entrepreneurs take risks that spark breakthroughs.
As we honor National Small Business Week, let’s recognize the potential in every small business, from Iowa’s Heartland to every corner of the nation. The next trillion-dollar company could be emerging in a small town, a bustling city, or a quiet suburb. By supporting small businesses—through shopping local, advocating for regulatory reform to reduce burdensome red tape, expanding access to capital through community banks and SBA-backed loans, offering mentorship programs, and integrating local businesses into supply chains—we patronage, policy, and community engagement—we cultivate the seeds of tomorrow’s giants. Let’s celebrate the entrepreneurs who dare to dream big, knowing that every global leader was once a small business with a spark of possibility.
Here’s to America’s small businesses—today’s innovators, tomorrow’s titans.
And let’s be clear: only in the United States of America—where supportive infrastructure like SBA loans, tech incubators, and startup grants give entrepreneurs a real shot—can the little guy in a garage go toe-to-toe with global giants—and win. We are the land of opportunity, fueled by free markets, faith in innovation, and the unshakable belief that with enough grit and guts, a startup can become a trillion-dollar powerhouse. That’s not just a dream—that’s American exceptionalism in action. So let’s double down on freedom, enterprise, and the entrepreneurial spirit that made this country great.