[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 125, 112th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 8673 of May 12, 2011

Small Business Week, 2011
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Our country started as an idea, and it took hard-working, dedicated, and
visionary patriots to make it a reality. Successful businesses start
much the same way--as ideas realized by entrepreneurs who dream of a
better world and work until they see it through. From the family
businesses that anchor Main Street to the high-tech startups that keep
America on the cutting edge, small businesses are the backbone of our
economy and the cornerstones of America's promise.
Throughout our economic recovery, persevering small businesses have
helped put our country back on track. Countless new and saved jobs have
come from small businesses who took advantage of tax relief, ac

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cess to capital, and other tools in the Recovery Act, the Small Business
Jobs Act, and other initiatives launched by my Administration to put
Americans back to work. To ensure the stability of our recovery, we must
continue to provide new opportunities for small business owners and the
next generation of entrepreneurs, who will help us out-innovate our
global competitors to win the future.
To support high-growth businesses, my Administration has launched
Startup America, an initiative that will strengthen access to capital
and mentoring while reducing barriers to growth for small businesses.
Entrepreneurship is essential to the strength and resilience of our
economy and our way of life. Startup America will give entrepreneurs the
tools they need to build their business into the next great American
company. To encourage innovation, we released the Strategy for American
Innovation, a report outlining my Administration's plan to harness
ingenuity. This means investing in the building blocks of innovation,
like education and infrastructure, while promoting market-based growth
through tax credits and effective intellectual property laws.
The National Export Initiative is working to open markets to American
businesses and support small exporters, who increase American
competitiveness abroad and create good jobs here at home. We continue to
create opportunities for businesses in underserved communities through
new lending initiatives, expanded access to counseling, and technical
assistance. We are also working to provide small businesses more
opportunities to compete for Federal contracts. This gives Federal
agencies access to some of our country's best products and services
while helping these businesses grow and employ community members.
Through these and other initiatives, we are supporting the entrepreneurs
and small businesses that provide work for half of American workers and
create two out of every three new private sector jobs.
Small businesses embody the promise of America: that if you have a good
idea and are willing to work hard enough, you can succeed in our
country. This week, we honor and celebrate the individuals whose
inspiration and efforts keep America strong.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 15 through May 21,
2011, as Small Business Week. I call upon all Americans to recognize the
contributions of small businesses to the competitiveness of the American
economy with appropriate programs and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twelfth day of May,
in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of
the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.
BARACK OBAMA