Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 27. It’s the eleventh annual Small Business Saturday, a registered trademark of American Express, where shoppers are encouraged to support their local small businesses. It’s not only a great time for residents to patronize North Royalton businesses, but also to get a start in holiday shopping!
In North Royalton, small business rules. According to Tom Jordan, North Royalton Community Development Director, “with very few exceptions, most can be classified as small businesses. There are very few with more than one hundred employees. In North Royalton there are over five hundred [small businesses]!”
Mayor Larry Antoskiewicz noted that “small businesses are always the life-blood of a lot of communities, especially those like ours. A lot of our small businesses are unique in what they bring to the community and a lot of the owners live in the community. Anything we can do to support them is what we would like to do.”
According to the national Chamber of Commerce, normally, about 400,000 new small businesses are started each year in the United States. Almost half of the U.S. population works for a small business. About 60-65% of new jobs in the U.S. come from small business in any given year, amounting to about two million jobs per year. In 2020, there were 31.7 million small businesses in the United States, employing 60.6 million employees, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy.
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), what qualifies as a small business, or vendor, adheres to industry size standards that are established by the SBA, must be a for-profit business with its place of business in the United States and operates primarily within the United States, or makes a significant contribution to the U.S. economy through taxes, or use of American materials, labor or products. It is to be independently owned and operated and not nationally dominant in its field. The business may be a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, or any other legal form. In determining what constitutes a small business, the definition will vary to reflect industry differences – especially size standards.
Small businesses in North Royalton have two major forms of support, through the North Royalton Chamber of Commerce and through the City’s Department of Community Development.
The North Royalton Chamber of Commerce assists members, offering programs through its partnership with Northern Ohio Area Chambers of Commerce (NOACC) in saving money on things such as health care insurance, credit card processing, and utility costs, to name a few. More information is available at nroyaltonchamber.com or at noacc.org.
Businesses can go to the City’s website, northroyalton.org to view various forms of economic development resources, such as grants and low interest loans available through other governmental agencies. They also can apply for a storefront renovation grant, which is subsidized by the City.
Jordan said that the City is currently in the process of compiling the North Royalton Business Directory, which will include basic information about all businesses in North Royalton. He said that a questionnaire was sent to all businesses and the development of information in the form of a list will be placed on the City’s website, northroyalton.org. Jordan notes that if any business has not been contacted and wishes to be included on the list, they can contact him at 440-237-5484, or email him at tjordan@northroyalton.org. A questionnaire will then be sent to the business and then be included in the list. He hopes to have the Directory listed soon.
Jordan also notes that there is still funding available for businesses affected by COVID-19, through the SBA. Those interested can seek more information at their website, SBA.gov.

By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer