Birmingham Business Alliance closes small business week in a big way
MONTHS. SMALL BUSINESS WEEK IN BIRMINGHAM IS CLOSING OUT IN A BIG WAY BY HELPING SMALL BUSINESSES GROW. THE BIRMINGHAM BUSINESS ALLIANCE, CONCLUDING THE WEEK WITH A LUNCH THIS AFTERNOON. WVTM 13 S MYA CALEB IS JOINING US LIVE IN MYA. HOW WILL THIS LUNCH HELP THESE SMALL BUSINESSES? WELL, CARLA SCOTT, BUSINESS OWNERS WILL NOT ONLY HEAR FROM SUCCESSFUL SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, BUT THEY WILL GET CONNECTED WITH RESOURCES TO AID IN GROWTH, GETTING CONTRACTS AND EVEN FREE CONSULTING WORK. THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES TODAY. CHANGES IN THE ECONOMY IMPACT LARGE CORPORATIONS AND SMALL BUSINESSES ALIKE. ONE AREA THAT MAKES SMALL BUSINESSES STRUGGLE IS FINANCE. LARGER BUSINESSES OFTEN HAVE BIGGER BUDGETS FOR MARKETING, ADVERTISING AND EMPLOYMENT, BUT THESE TOOLS COULD MAKE THE DIFFERENCE IN SMALL BUSINESSES TANKING OR STAYING AFLOAT AND EVEN GROWING. WE ARE SEEING SOME OF SOME PRICE INCREASES WITH THE THAT ARE COMING UP IN THE NEXT COMING WEEKS. SOME OF OUR VENDORS ARE ARE SAYING, HEY, YOU’VE GOT THIS PRICE INCREASE COMING UP. WE’RE TRYING OUR BEST NOT TO PASS THOSE INCREASES TO OUR CUSTOMERS, BUT IN OTHER AREAS WE HAVE NO CHOICE. AND SO WE JUST HAVE TO TO NAVIGATE THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE DOES. AND THE ALPHAGRAPHICS OWNER ALSO EMPHASIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF SHOPPING WITH THOSE SMALL AND LOCAL BUSINESSES, SAYING THAT THE MORE YOU INVEST INTO THOSE SMALL LOCAL BUSINESSES, THE MORE THEY’RE ABLE TO PUT BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY. LIVE IN BIRMINGHAM, M
Birmingham Business Alliance closes small business week in a big way
Updated: 7:46 AM CDT May 9, 2025
The Birmingham Business Alliance Small Business Week closes out with its annual BBA luncheon. The luncheon features panelists from different economic ecosystems for insight on what small businesses need to elevate. Resources made available to small businesses include free consulting, assistance with growth plans and getting government contracts. “A small business owner that might be one to five employees, maybe even 10 to 15 employees, they don’t have the depth of that talent to grow their companies,” said Victor Brown, the director of small business for the Birmingham Business Alliance. “So, by utilizing organizations like Birmingham Business Alliance, Central Alabama Redevelopment Alliance, Alabama Small Business Development Center Network, the city of Birmingham, they can get that talent that they need, often for free or very low cost.” These resources are available through the Alabama Small Business Development Center and APEX Accelerators, according to the Birmingham Business Alliance. Small Business Week is also about supporting small businesses.”When you’re supporting small business, you’re supporting your community. A small business, we’re supporting the softball teams, the little T-ball teams,” said Keith Mitchell, the owner of AlphaGraphics in Birmingham.One area smaller businesses struggle in is finance. Larger businesses often have bigger budgets for advertisement, marketing and employment. Economic changes can also have an impact on how well a small business does. “Some of our vendors are saying, ‘Hey, you’ve got this price increase coming up.’ And so, I think the BBA is also really good about helping us navigate some of those things, putting us in contact with the right organizations to help us navigate some of the financial woes that are coming on,” said Mitchell.>> WVTM 13 ON-THE-GO: Download our app for free
The Birmingham Business Alliance Small Business Week closes out with its annual BBA luncheon.
The luncheon features panelists from different economic ecosystems for insight on what small businesses need to elevate.
Resources made available to small businesses include free consulting, assistance with growth plans and getting government contracts.
“A small business owner that might be one to five employees, maybe even 10 to 15 employees, they don’t have the depth of that talent to grow their companies,” said Victor Brown, the director of small business for the Birmingham Business Alliance. “So, by utilizing organizations like Birmingham Business Alliance, Central Alabama Redevelopment Alliance, Alabama Small Business Development Center Network, the city of Birmingham, they can get that talent that they need, often for free or very low cost.”
These resources are available through the Alabama Small Business Development Center and APEX Accelerators, according to the Birmingham Business Alliance.
Small Business Week is also about supporting small businesses.
“When you’re supporting small business, you’re supporting your community. A small business, we’re supporting the softball teams, the little T-ball teams,” said Keith Mitchell, the owner of AlphaGraphics in Birmingham.
One area smaller businesses struggle in is finance.
Larger businesses often have bigger budgets for advertisement, marketing and employment.
Economic changes can also have an impact on how well a small business does.
“Some of our vendors are saying, ‘Hey, you’ve got this price increase coming up.’ And so, I think the BBA is also really good about helping us navigate some of those things, putting us in contact with the right organizations to help us navigate some of the financial woes that are coming on,” said Mitchell.
>> WVTM 13 ON-THE-GO: Download our app for free
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