Small Business Week, 2008

Proclamation 8241 of April 17, 2008

Small Business Week, 2008

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

In communities across America, small business owners
are working hard to turn their dreams into enterprises.
Small Business Week is a time to celebrate the many
achievements of small business owners, entrepreneurs,
and employees, who contribute to the vitality and
prosperity of our Nation and create new job
opportunities for our citizens.

Small businesses are the backbone of the American
economy, and my Administration is committed to
fostering an environment in which the entrepreneurial
spirit can thrive. By keeping taxes low, we leave more
money in the hands of Americans to save, spend, and
invest. This year, we have also temporarily expanded
incentives to help small businesses invest in new
equipment and expand their enterprises. We have also
expanded market access and opened new markets for
American goods and services abroad, helping our small
businesses compete in the global economy. To make
health care more affordable and accessible, we continue
to support Association Health Plans so small businesses
can band together to get the same discounts that big
companies receive.

The underpinnings of our economy are strong,
competitive, and resilient enough to overcome the
challenges we face, and in the long run, Americans can
be confident that our economy will continue to grow.
During Small Business Week and throughout the year, we
recognize the determination and ingenuity of America's
workers and entrepreneurs who play a vital role in
building a more prosperous future for our country.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United
States, do hereby proclaim April 20 through April 26,
2008, as Small Business Week. I call upon all Americans
to observe this week with appropriate ceremonies,
activities, and programs that celebrate the
achievements of small business owners and their
employees and encourage the development of new small
businesses.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
seventeenth day of April, in the year of our Lord two
thousand eight, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and thirty-second.