Charlotte Celebrates Small Business Month 2026 with Events & Honors

Published on May 01, 2026

Exterior of local fish market, West End Seafood Market, with pink flowers out front and a mural on the side of the building.

West End Fresh Seafood Market, one of this year's featured businesses in #31DaysofBiz.

The City of Charlotte is proud to celebrate Small Business Month throughout May. This month, Charlotte Economic Development will recognize the contributions of our city's entrepreneurs by sharing resources to help businesses grow and highlighting the people behind them.

Small Business Month highlights include:

#31DaysofBiz: Economic Development will highlight a different small business every day this month. This year’s campaign will celebrate the small businesses that are driving growth and innovation in the city’s six Corridors of Opportunity. Watch all 31 videos on the Charlotte Economic Development YouTube channel.
10th Annual Small Business Month Kickoff: This free networking event on May 4 will recognize the 2026 #31DaysofBiz honorees. Attendees will have the opportunity to connect with business owners, city leaders and partner organizations, while enjoying networking, local food and music.
Breakfast and Business: Economic Development and QCity Metro are partnering to present a session on small business resilience at Freedom Business Collective on May 13. A recording of the session will also be available on the publication’s YouTube page.
Crowns of Enterprise Awards: The City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County will recognize small businesses that demonstrate exemplary leadership, innovation and sound business practices on May 7.
The Mayor’s International Community Awards (MICA): Presented by the Charlotte International Cabinet and the Office of the Mayor, this event on May 20 honors foreign-owned firms and leaders for their outstanding service and contributions to philanthropy and the development of Charlotte’s international community.

This year’s Charlotte Small Business Month comes at a pivotal time for the city’s small business community. With the launch of the Small Business Ecosystem Assessment and action plan and new efforts such as Skilled to Build, the city is advancing a more coordinated approach to supporting entrepreneurs and ensuring they can benefit from upcoming economic opportunities.