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During the past 18 months, the pandemic has had significant impact on our lives. However, small businesses have the greatest impact on our livelihoods.

Whether self-employed or the employer to dozens, small businesses are the engine that keep our economy and our communities running. They are the providers of goods and services; and, also the providers of incomes and sustenance. 

Being a small business owner is difficult even in the best of economic times, so to say small business ownership has been a challenge the past year and a half is an understatement. We all have a debt of gratitude to pay to small business owners who have shouldered the weight and responsibility of taking care of their employees and customers.

As the U.S. Small Business Administration recognizes the resilience and critical contributions of our nation’s entrepreneurs during National Small Business Week Sept. 12-18, I’d also like to call attention to the people working behind the scenes to lift up our local small businesses.

Behind every small business is a team of dedicated subject matter experts working tirelessly to set up entrepreneurs for success. Across our district, advisers from the SBA Resource Partner Network, state and local government officials, chambers of commerce, industry associations, economic development councils, certified development financial institutions, large and community banks, credit unions … anyone who had a connection to the small business community rolled up their sleeves and asked, “How can we help?” That ask quickly turned into action and collaboration to a level unlike I’ve ever seen before.

Since the onset of the pandemic, the SBA has been tasked with administering the largest small business recovery programs in our nation’s history. As a small, cabinet-level agency with just a few thousand employees, this was — and continues to be — a Herculean endeavor.

Through various COVID Relief Programs — including the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Programs, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF), and the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) — more than $1 trillion has gone to America’s small businesses. That’s approximately one quarter of all federal COVID spending.

Of that, more than $24 billion has gone to small businesses in Washington state and northern Idaho alone thanks to the talented team of all those in our local small business ecosystem.

While the job is far from done, I have full confidence we will pull through thanks to the resiliency of small business owners and the dedicated team of supporters behind them.

Kerrie Hurd is the Director of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Seattle District which serves Washington and northern Idaho. The SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small businesses with resources to start, grow, expand or recover.