NEW YORK (AP) — National Small Business Week is largely a publicity and cheerleading event during any presidential administration. The Small Business Administration traditionally has used it as a showcase for its Small Business Person of the Year awards and agency officials have long used Small Business Week events to tout the ways their policy has helped companies.

It’s also a time when the government, as well as state and local officials and groups such as chambers of commerce, hold workshops and forums to help small business owners with issues like management, financing and getting contracts. Although many events are in-person, many are also online, including those being sponsored by the SBA. An internet search can provide information on what’s being held, and where.

This year, National Small Business Week is being held May 5-11; information about the events is available on the SBA website at
www.sba.gov/national-small-business-week
. Among the events is a free two-day online conference on Tuesday, May 7 and Wednesday, May 8 that will include online seminars and networking.

Local events might be held during National Small Business Week, or they might be scheduled at other times; some areas observe Small Business Month. In some places, the events are purely social, while in others, they’re educational.

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