Google Announces New Funding and Support Programs for International Small Business Week

International Small Business Week is taking place this week, from June 27 to July 1, and to commemorate the occasion, Google has unveiled a number of SMB support tools and offers to assist small businesses in maximizing their chances to stand out and draw clients online.

For starters, Google is providing special discounts on a variety of digital tools created to aid SMBs in operating more effectively, expanding their reach, and maintaining contact with their clients.

As seen here, Google's offering is as follows:

• 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

Those are very tempting deals, but they're only accessible to companies in the US and Canada, and they only last for this week.

Google's Small Business Week mini-site has more information and a place where you may use these discounts.

Furthermore, Google is also launching a new campaign called "Heroes of Small Business" with the goal of honoring SMBs that go to great lengths for their communities.

Customers can recommend a small business of their choice, and the winning businesses will get $10,000 in prizes. More information on the campaign is available here.

Lastly, through a new program in collaboration with StartOut, an LGBTQ+ nonprofit organization that works to promote mentorship, access to funding, and other business tools, Google plans to offer further support for LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs.

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.”

Applications for the program are accepted through the StartOut website.

With 99 percent of all US businesses falling into the small and medium-sized business (SMB) category, small businesses are crucial to the economy.

Due to their lack of resources and support, these smaller operators have also been severely impacted by the pandemic. They were unable to endure the financial blow associated with the numerous lockdowns and other COVID mitigation efforts.

Therefore, it is still to our benefit when we're supporting smaller enterprises in whatever way we can in order to strengthen our economy, which in turn also serves to provide greater support for individuals within our local communities and opens up more opportunities for entrepreneurial success.