While small, agile businesses may have some distinct advantages over larger competitors, they also face their fair share of challenges. Small Business Week (April 29-May 5) provides an opportunity to spotlight those challenges and what can be done to overcome the obstacles. A wide range of stakeholders rely on the success of small businesses. Small job-shops, fabricators, subcontractors, parts suppliers, engineering firms, and niche manufacturers play important roles in the overall economic stability of the industry. We need small businesses to thrive.

Small Business Week was in early May and it provided an excellent opportunity to celebrate the high success rate of small businesses in the manufacturing industry, while also offering advice for further growth. In this digital era of fast paced change, small businesses are ideally suited to seize unfolding opportunities. Their nimble nature, ability to make fast decisions, willingness to reinvent business models, and a passion for innovation give small businesses an important competitive advantage.