SAVANNAH, Ga. () — Savannah leaders are coming together to support and celebrate the small businesses that make the city what it is.

You would be surprised at the products and services you can find in a local shop or the delicious food and drinks from a local restaurant. Small Business Week is also about educating entrepreneurs and giving them the resources needed to keep their doors open.

Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Bert Brantley said they understand the struggle business owners go through, and they want to help.

“It is tough. It’s the American dream, but it’s also your blood, your sweat and your tears,” Brantley said. “You will never find a small business owner who is not nervous about the future… That’s why this week it’s so important to celebrate and respect that risk our business owners take every day.”

No matter the industry, there are ups and downs to owning any small business. Jamie Pleta of Finches Sandwiches and Sundries in Thunderbolt knows that well.

“We had Hurricane Helene last fall that kind of destroyed us,” Pleta said. “We were out of power for about ten days. Then, we had the snowstorm in January that caught everyone off guard again – no power for about five days. If we lose one day… Even a half a day is paying a good chunk of our bills. No dollars are wasted.”

Mayor Van Johnson said local establishments are needed to support the economy in the area.

“Money spent locally stays local,” Johnson said. “Once it is spent here, they hire people who are local, and the money is reinvested back into the community.”

Over two-thirds of businesses in Savannah are considered small, meaning they have 500 employees or less.

Last year, those establishments hired 78% of the local workforce in the coastal empire, according to the chamber of commerce. Eight five percent of the chamber members are small or local.

For a list of Small Business Week events, click here.