During this challenging time, the small businesses of the Golden Isles have been a source of inspiration and hope. Since the beginning of April, The Golden Isles Development Authority has been working with community partners to learn how the COVID-19 virus is impacting our employers- large and small. No matter the industry, every call, survey, or message sent was answered within a common theme: we are not giving up.

This week typically marks National Small Business Week. A time to celebrate and recognize the importance of small businesses in our local neighborhoods and the U.S. economy.

In Glynn County, out of our nearly 5,000 businesses, 84% of them have fewer than twenty employees. Supporting our small businesses is vital to not only maintain the quality of life we value in the Golden Isles but to flourish together as a community. For every dollar spent at a small business in the U.S., approximately 67 cents stays in the local community (amex.co/another-reason-shop-small). 

In the past year, our team has had the privilege to discover the unique stories of our small businesses with our Business Retention and Expansion Service Program and Share the Future Initiative. Although National Small Business Week is postponed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Development Authority is committed to sharing more of those stories. We are using this week to showcase the strength, innovation, and resilience of our local entrepreneurs and small businesses. Our business community has always demonstrated these traits, but how they are rising to overcome today’s challenges is outstanding.