The UPS Store Kicks Off National Small Business Week with Small Biz Salute
May 02 2016 - 11:00AM
Business is built on relationships, and for many small business
owners, cultivating those connections is critical. According to a
recent survey* conducted by The UPS Store, Inc., networking and
marketing are two of the most important areas for growth for small
business owners. Two-thirds of the small business owners surveyed
agreed that it is important to form strong relationships with other
small business owners and 75 percent revealed there are
opportunities to expand their marketing efforts.
In celebration of National Small Business Week (May 1-7), The
UPS Store is bringing together networking opportunities and
marketing help through its annual Small Biz Salute, a month-long
initiative providing entrepreneurs in several of the nation’s top
small business cities special opportunities to make meaningful
connections in their communities and gain valuable marketing advice
from business experts.
“In the world of instant communication, we’re finding that small
business owners value the traditional face time of in-person
meetings where they can exchange ideas, share best practices and
learn from their peers,” said Tim Davis, President of The UPS
Store, Inc. “Small Biz Salute is our way of satisfying small
business owners’ craving for connections while at the same time
recognizing and celebrating them for their hard work and
contributions to their local economies and communities.”
Throughout the month of May, The UPS Store will encourage people
to “salute” their favorite local small business by giving them a
shout out on social media with #SmallBizSalute. In four cities —
Minneapolis, Nashville, Houston and Phoenix — The UPS Store will be
hosting events to provide small business owners the opportunity to
meet and network with other owners in their communities.
In addition to networking with peers, attendees will also have
the opportunity to gain valuable business advice from experts like
Marcus Lemonis, Host of CNBC’s The Profit, who is teaming up with
The UPS Store to help small business owners and will also be the
keynote speaker at the Small Biz Salute event in Minneapolis on May
4 and Phoenix on May 24.
“As someone who hears small business challenges on a daily
basis, I’m excited to collaborate with The UPS Store to help reach
more entrepreneurs and give them the inspiration to find success,”
said Lemonis. “While entrepreneurs by definition are in business
for themselves, it doesn’t mean they have to do it by themselves.
Getting expert advice and best practices from peers is a brilliant
way to learn and ultimately grow your business.”
The UPS Store is also using National Small Business Week as an
opportunity to help start or grow small businesses through its
Small Biz Pitch Competition**. For the Small Biz Salute
events in Minneapolis, Nashville and Houston, eligible local small
businesses can submit an application for the potential opportunity
to pitch their business idea to a panel of judges. Four
finalists will be selected to compete at each event for the grand
price award of $5,000 while also getting the invaluable feedback on
their idea from hundreds of local small business owners. Those
interested can apply online prior to the event or arrive early the
day of the event for the opportunity to compete.
With small business owners reporting that marketing is one of
their biggest business challenges – coming in higher than finding
time to manage their business and financial resources – The UPS
Store will be offering marketing advice at each of the Small Biz
Salute events and attendees can learn from business experts on ways
to streamline their marketing efforts.
In addition to the Small Biz Salute events, small business
owners across the country can take advantage of 4,500 UPS Store
locations where they’ll find a suite of products and services that
can help them better market their business, including:
- Marketing services. More than three-fourths of
the small business owners surveyed (76 percent) agreed that there
is room to expand their marketing efforts. The UPS Store provides
tools and resources to help small business owners promote and
market their business with email marketing, website design, social
media and more.
- Print services. Business cards and print
materials are a common tool amongst small business owners.
Three-fourths of all respondents in the survey discussed above (75
percent) use business cards to promote their business, along with
brochures (27 percent), flyers (22 percent) or direct mail pieces
(22 percent). The UPS Store offers online and print services.
- Mentoring and business management. Each UPS
Store location is locally owned and operated, and franchisees often
take an innovative approach to providing unique customer consulting
and solutions. The UPS Store also works with SCORE to help build
awareness of business mentoring opportunities for small business
owners across the country.
For more information about Small Biz Salute, visit
theupsstore.com/smallbizsalute.
*The results of the survey are based on an online survey
conducted March 25-30, 2016 by The UPS Store, Inc., franchisor of
The UPS Store network, with small business owners. The methodology
of the study was an online survey among a panel of 500 small
business owners contacted through Research Now. All participants
were 18 and older and residents of the United States. The UPS
Store, Inc. strives to include accurate and up-to-date Information
but makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy,
completeness, or adequacy of the information or survey results
provided herein; the information is provided on an “as is”
basis.
** Contest open only to qualifying small business entities in
MN, TN, and TX. Finalists must be able to attend the pitch
event to be eligible to win. Online applications must be received
by 11:00 pm CT on May 13, 2016. See contest rules for
eligibility terms, entry requirements and prize details. Full
contest rules available on The UPS Store Website. Small Biz Pitch
Competition will not be held at the Phoenix event.
About The UPS Store
With more than 4,500 locations, The UPS Store network comprises
the nation’s largest franchise system of retail shipping, postal,
print and business service centers. The UPS Store locations in the
U.S. are independently owned and operated by licensed franchisees
of The UPS Store, Inc., a subsidiary of UPS (NYSE: UPS). Services,
pricing and hours of operation may vary by location. For additional
information on The UPS Store, including information
on franchise opportunities for opening a The UPS
Store location, visit www.theupsstore.com. Follow The UPS Store on
Twitter at @TheUPSStore and like The UPS Store on
Facebook at facebook.com/theupsstore.
Copyright © 2016 The UPS Store, Inc. All rights
reserved.
Tracy Spahr
858-642-7968
tracyspahr@upsstore.com
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