Local businesses celebrate Small Business Week

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. –This week is National Small Business Week and the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce just made an exciting announcement. 

Bowling Green has been ranked as the 31st best small city to start a small business in the United States. 

Bowling Green is the only city in Kentucky to receive this distinction. 

Barbara Stewart Interiors on the square is one small business in town, and designer Tim Minor says he is excited about this achievement. 

“That makes me very proud. That we’re getting national recognition that I’ve known for a long time. This is a place you know where you walk on the street and it’s just friendly, and a welcoming community,” said Minor. 

Across town off of lovers lane, Mackenzie’s flowers, another small business, has recently opened their expansion. they said since the pandemic, shopping at local small businesses is more crucial than ever…and shop manager Beverly Dalton says they have felt the support from the community. 

“I think now more than ever, especially coming out of the pandemic this last year, people are much more in tune with supporting small businesses. And we’ve certainly, since we’ve opened this and expanded, we’ve certainly experienced that in this community,” said Dalton. 

Minor agrees, and emphasizes taking the extra time to shop in person rather than order online helps them too.

“When you walk into our store, you can touch it, you can feel it, we’re gonna wrap it for you for free if it’s a gift, you know those are things that you don’t get when you’re shopping on Amazon or eBay,” said Minor.