Behind every small business is a big story – Blue Ribbon News
Rockwall, TX (May 16, 2025) – In May, as we celebrate National Small Business Week, it’s tempting to offer only applause and cheer. Yes, our small businesses are resilient, creative, and generous. They are the lifeblood of the Rockwall area and countless towns across America. But if we stop at feel-good slogans, we do them—and ourselves—a disservice.
Let’s be honest: owning a small business in today’s environment is not just challenging. It’s often exhausting difficult, and sometimes even demoralizing. In our community, our improving infrastructure is making it hard for some of our 1-30 corridor businesses to remain easy to access. I want to remind everyone; they are OPEN for business. Please make the extra turn or drive a little farther to get into their parking lots during this time. We want to make sure they are here long after our roads are improved.
These small businesses are more than storefronts or service providers. They are job creators, community builders, and passionate innovators. Whether it’s the family-owned restaurant that knows your order by heart, the boutique that offers one-of-a-kind treasures, or the contractor who built your neighbor’s dream kitchen, small businesses shape the character and quality of life in our community.
So, as we celebrate our small businesses, let’s go beyond the balloons and ribbon-cuttings. Let’s have real conversations about how we as a community—and as a country—can make entrepreneurship more viable and sustainable.
It’s not enough to say “shop local”, we need to create an environment where small businesses can not only survive, but truly thrive—365 days a year. Thank you, Rockwall, for truly supporting our local small businesses.
Behind every business is a story of hard work, resilience, and risk-taking. Entrepreneurs face countless challenges—economic shifts, staffing hurdles, regulatory changes—yet they persevere. They invest not just their money, but their time, energy, and heart into making their businesses thrive and enrich our community.
Small Business Week is not just about celebration; it’s about support. This week, and every week, I encourage all of our residents to think local first. Every dollar spent at a small business stays in our community longer, supporting not just the business itself, but employees, local suppliers, and the many organizations and events that small businesses generously sponsor year after year.
At the Rockwall Area Chamber of Commerce, we are proud to stand beside these entrepreneurs, advocating for their needs, providing resources, and fostering a supportive business environment where they can succeed.
To our small business owners: your persistence fuels our economy and strengthens our community. You take risks others shy away from. You believe in your ideas, your team, and your community. That matters. We see you, we thank you, and we are committed to advocating for you not just for Small Business Week, but every week.
Please join us as we cheer on and support our small businesses even beyond Small Business Week. Your support matters and they are OPEN for business to serve all of us!
Darby Nielsen, IOM, Rockwall Area Chamber of Commerce President & CEO
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