This week is International Small Business Week. Marking the event, Google announced a range of new SMB support tools and offers to help smaller organizations maximize their opportunities to stand out and attract more customers online.

Googling A Hand

First off, Google is offering exclusive discounts on a range of digital tools designed to help SMBs operate more efficiently, increase their audience reach, and stay in touch with their customers. More specifically, Google’s offer gives:

  • Three months free of Google Workspace

  • 40% off of a domain from Google Domains

  • $130 off a Chromebook

  • 60 days of Shopify Free and a free Shopify-built store

These make for some really enticing offers – the only catch is that they’re only available to businesses within the US and Canada, and they’re only available this week. Learn more about these offers and redeem them at Google’s Small Business Week mini-site. To add, Google will also be running a new ‘Heroes of Small Business’ campaign, which aims to recognize SMBs that go above and beyond for their respective communities.

Customers can nominate a small business of their choice, who’ll then receive a piece from the $10000 price pool. More info on competing companies here

Lastly, Google’s also looking to provide additional support for LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs via a new program in partnership with StartOut, an LGBTQ+ non-profit organization that helps with mentorship and provides LGBTQ+-owned businesses with access to capital and other business tools.

According to Google:

“Through StartOut’s Acceleration Initiative, Google will fund more than 60 scholarships to help Black, Latinx, and female-identifying LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs to grow and scale their businesses.”

Businesses interested in signing up for the program can do so via StartOut’s website.

The Wrap

It may not be obvious, but small businesses play a critical role in the economy. 99% of all businesses in the US are said to fall under the SMB category. These smaller operators are also the ones who struggled most throughout the pandemic, with fewer resources available to withstand the financial hit. As such, it’s in everyone’s best interest to support these businesses in any way that we can, which is what Google is doing with this announcement.

Subscribe to our ‘Bottoms Up!’ Newsletter. Get the latest social media blogs about news, updates, trends, and effective social media strategies to take your business to the highest level from Tristan Ahumada and Jeff Pfitzer.

Sources 

https://bit.ly/39VCGle