Vancouver celebrates Small Business Month in May

Vancouver celebrates Small Business Month in May

April 28, 2026

On Monday, May 4, Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle will proclaim the month of May "Small Business Month" in Vancouver. The designation coincides with National Small Business Month.

"Small businesses make up more than 95 percent of Vancouver's business community, and they play a central role in our local economy," said Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle. "Small Business Month is an opportunity to recognize the entrepreneurs whose hard work and persistence keep this city growing."

Free Small Business Month events

• Business Plan Basics - 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12 at Cascade Park Community Library, 600 N.E. 136^th Ave. An interactive workshop designed to help emerging businesses take their business from an idea to a plan.

• From Passwords to Policies: Small Business Cybersecurity Essentials - 9 to 11 a.m. on Friday, May 22 at Vancouver City Hall, Aspen Room, 415 W. 6^th Street. Learn the basics of keeping a business (and its finances) safe from scams and cyber attacks.

• Connect and Navigate - 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 27 at the Vancouver Community Library, Columbia Room, 901 C. Street. A resource fair to connect entrepreneurs and small businesses with 19 local funding and assistance resources to start and grow a business in Vancouver.
• Personalized Business Advising: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, June 1 at Vancouver's Downtown Association, 811 Main Street. One-hour, free business advising sessions with a certified business advisor are provided every other month.

"We're starting to see the ideas from our first economic development strategy turn into real progress," said Chris Harder, deputy economic development director. "In the coming months, businesses and startups will see new ways to access capital and more pathways to start or grow a business in Vancouver."

City programs supporting small businesses

• The City passed its first Five-Year Economic Development Strategy in 2025 to help support economic growth in Vancouver, including strengthening support for small businesses.
• Revolving Loan Fund: Launching this summer, this program will offer $1.2 million in loans to small businesses in the Fourth Plain Investment area, along with another $1.2 million in matching funds for small businesses across the city who lack access to traditional financing.
• Small Business Resiliency Grants: A new $300,000 grant program to support small businesses facing economic challenges in the Fourth Plain for All community investment area.
• Product-to-Market Program: Will invest $250,000 to help local consumer product entrepreneurs - especially those from underserved communities - grow by expanding access to retail, e-commerce and mobile vending opportunities. A Request for Proposals seeking qualified organizations to administer the new program will be released this month.
• Community Development Block Grants (CDBG): The CDBG program allowed the City to award funding to support 193 micro-businesses through workshops, one-on-one specialized business consulting and more in 2025. The City will provide an estimated $300,000 for additional business assistance this year.
• The City also continues to offer support for small businesses through tools like an interactive procurement website to for bidding on City projects, a simple Mobile Food Vending hub outlining key permitting and licensing steps, and a pre-lease program for businesses and food truck owners seeking to open in Vancouver City limits.

Explore more services, business education and grants, low-cost loans, and other business funding options through the City's Business Resources Hub.

Media Contacts:

Chris Harder, deputy economic development director, Economic Prosperity and Housing, 360-487-7934 or [email protected]

Laura Shepard, communications director, 360-487-8614 or [email protected]