2014 National Small Business Week Highlights Video

And now I officially kick off National Small business week of 2014. This week we're celebrating small businesses and hosting events across the nation. Happy National Small business week. America's 28 million small businesses create nearly two out of three new jobs in our economy, employing half of the private sector workforce. You all share the entrepreneurial spirit that has always been central to our nation's prosperity. The SBA has supported more loans to our small businesses in the last five years than any other time in history. I think that there's nothing more optimistic anybody can do than to start a small business. Small business has been such a great engine for our San Francisco community. We also know that small businesses as an engine of the American economy is really, really important. Small is powerful and creates two thirds of the new jobs in the United States. But what's really cool is that when a small business succeeds, their community succeeds as well. We are trying to create an entrepreneurial and small business movement. Vivian Har set up Eliminate Stand to raise money to eradicate child slavery. With her Twitter account, she raised more than $100,000. She showed us how social media lemonade stand into an instrument of social change. Everything I know about a small business, I learned at a lemonade stand. Start with your heart, because when you do, you know you're on the right path. When opportunity presents itself, ladies and gentlemen, don't be afraid to go after. If you can dream it, you can do it. Think like a kid. It's really about building teams. How do you build effective teams to accomplish a mission? Never hire someone unless they raise the average for the company. Veteran business owners hire other veterans because they know the value proposition that veterans can bring to businesses. And if you haven't hired a veteran, do that. You will find veterans are some of our best, most skilled, most talented workers. They are leaders. They are committed to service. Surround yourself with people who support your dream. Define your mission, go out and plan and practice and make sure you're ready to execute. If you're dipping your toe in the water for a small business, the SBA is a good place to start. I think it's just an attitude of being able to ask for help. How can you help me think it through? You might be very surprised at what manifests. We want to see you succeed, so we will be with you for the whole journey. And we cost a whole whomping $0. Mentoring makes a difference. So if you don't have one, get one, because we can connect you. And our connection is several million strong. Really. Business fundamentals don't Change. You invest a dollar, you want to make more than a dollar. Stick with it even on the bad days. Have to smooth through it and you can do it. And when the going gets rough, don't ever give up. Fail early. Yeah, just fail. Don't be afraid to fail. In the United States, I think we protect ourselves too much. Just fail. Just try it and move on. Nothing will happen unless you take the initiative to do it. I made a lot of stupid mistakes because, you know, as a small business person, you're the CEO, but that does not mean chief executive officer. You don't have anybody to execute. You gotta do it yourself. What you are is the chief executive officer, Chief everything officer. You gotta do it all. I think it's also having a very honest conversation with yourself about the vision you have for your business and how big you want it to be and just how fast. Papa John's has been a great ride. I got lucky. I found something I love to do at 15. Joe John and Frank Fondrisi were real Italians. They taught me how to make pizza. Our business platform is win, win, win, win. So what mobile and many of the such as social and some of the other aspects of technology is that it's democratized the process of raising capital. 80% of the time, people are engaging with their apps on their phone, not mobile websites. Watch what customers are doing already and then make sure you are there. Your app is an expense that you make to go out and drive new customers to your business and keep them as a customer. One of the things that is a challenge to small business is survival. The next step is success, but what we always strive for is transformation, to take it to another place. In the social media age, consumers know what they're buying and they reward those companies with the conscience. Small business is a vehicle for community empowerment, integrating social good into your business, especially now that the world is so interconnected, because we think when you do that, it will actually not only help other people, but it'll actually be good business. It's all people. Everything happens by, with or through people. You are the backbone of the US Economy. You drive that engine and you are the risk takers. You are our stars. You had an idea, you started a business and you watched it grow. Give yourselves a big round of applause. Congratulations. Congratulations. Thank you so much. You know, I mean, you all know how hard you work, how much you put into things emotionally. You know, it's a big deal. I will never stop fighting for small businesses in this country because I am one with Maria at the helm SBA now stands for Smarter, Bolder actions. If you need capital to grow, if you need counseling to plan or you need contracts to expand your business, then look up your local SBA office. The SBA is here for you. We want to be your angel. Lemonade. Lesson five. It's not how small your business is, it's how big you think it can change the world. If I can, you can.