The City of Stockton‘s Economic Development Department is assisting local businesses with the launch of Stockton Small Business Week, May 2 – 8, 2021. This is Stockton’s opportunity to showcase the impact of local entrepreneurs, small business owners and those who support entrepreneurship.  This year’s events and activities are made possible through the support of federal, state, and local partners.

Throughout Stockton Small Business Week, the City of Stockton’s Economic Development Department and community partners will host events and programs to support small business and encourage participation from the community.

“Small businesses are the lifeblood of Stockton’s economy, and we are honored to partner with the City of Stockton to show we appreciate the contribution of small businesses to our community,” said Wes Rhea, Visit Stockton’s CEO. “There are many ways to support small businesses, including purchasing a gift card, leaving an online review and simply saying “thank you” when visiting your favorite local establishment.”

As part of COVID-19 recovery efforts, the City of Stockton is launching a new business intelligence tool during Stockton Small Business Week called SizeUp. SizeUp enhances support to small and medium-sized businesses within the City of Stockton. This new resource can help small businesses and entrepreneurs assess and adapt to the new challenges and opportunities in a changing business environment. The City of Stockton, in partnership with SizeUp, will be presenting two webinars that will review the current status of small business revitalization, recovery efforts, and walk through the SizeUp toolkit with live demonstrations for the community:

  • Tuesday, May 4, 2021, from 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
  • Thursday, May 6, 2021, from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Lisa Vela of the San Joaquin Hispanic Chamber shared her enthusiasm for having this information readily available and at the fingertips of business owners and potential business owners. “I love this tool. It’s great for small businesses to educate themselves, especially during these times, and use it toward building a resiliency plan for changing business conditions.”

Stockton Small Business Week events also include additional educational webinars for small business owners and operators, including Visit Stockton’s “Inspiring Confidence with Online Listings,” teaching proactive efforts to help businesses maximize their exposure within influential consumer-facing platforms, and Sacramento SBA and NorCal SBDC’s “Restaurants: Pivoting to the “To Go and Delivery” Model,” providing tools on navigating delivery apps and developing a business brand.

Additional educational opportunities during Stockton’s Small Business Week include hosting contests for both small business and community members. The #StocktonSmallBusinessWeek small business challenge encourages small businesses within the city to share on social media for a chance to win a marketing video produced by Visit Stockton. Stockton Small Business Week Bingo gets the community to support their favorite small business as they complete their bingo card for a chance to win a Visit Stockton gift basket filled with Stockton swag, gift cards, and more. Both contests run from May 2-8, 2021.

For more information, please visit www.StocktonSmallBusinessWeek.com.