This week is the time to celebrate the small business. Every year since 1963, National Small Business Week has been held to recognize the contributions made by small businesses, which more than half of Americans either own or work for, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Certainly small businesses make up a significant portion of the wastewater industry. To mark the occasion, we’ve compiled a few articles that can help you be successful with your small business.

And for more information about National Small Business Week, visit www.sba.gov/national-small-business-week.

Small Business Tips

Small businesses are oftentimes family-run operations. One problem with that — while the brain should drive business decisions, emotions and sentiment always come into play when it’s a family-owned business. Check out this story looking at how to best balance that family and business dynamic.

Traditional advertising is getting more expensive and often less effective. Community relations management is just a different way of getting the same attention. Brand recognition brings real benefits. Reach your audience by sponsoring a local youth sports team, volunteering, or joining chamber of commerce events — anything that makes you visible in the community. Here are some tips on becoming a community partner and earning loyal customers.

Technology changes quickly these days, making it difficult to always stay on top of the latest trends. But when it does become time to upgrade things like computers, tablets, smartphones, or software, it can be especially challenging for small businesses that may not be able to dedicate significant resources toward the effort without disrupting other workflow. Here are tips on how to make a tech upgrade go as smoothly as possible.

Having the right equipment is of course a key aspect of running a business in the wastewater industry effectively. Going about acquiring that equipment can take many different forms. Read about how various companies that have been featured in Cleaner magazine have tackled that challenge.

Recently, we caught up with Rogers & Sons of Lithonia, Georgia, a company first featured in Cleaner magazine in 2008. Rogers & Sons is celebrating 50 years in business this year and is an ideal candidate to be highlighted during National Small Business Week — part of the reason for the company’s success today is its concerted effort to stay a small operation.