It's National Small Business Week, and in Maryland that means we're celebrating the companies that form the bedrock of our economy.

Maryland has more than 580,000 small businesses, which means our small business community makes up more than 99 percent of all the businesses in the state. More than 1 million people are employed by Maryland small businesses—that's more than half of the state's private workforce, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Small businesses are everywhere, providing every kind of service: construction firms, retail stores, manufacturers, health care providers—you name it! They also include our thriving community of ground-breaking startups, so it's no wonder Maryland has been named one of the top states in the country for innovation.

Our larger firms and institutions depend on our small businesses community to provide essential services and supplies, and they're one of our most important reasons that we can say Maryland is "Open for Business" as we show companies from all over the world why they should locate here.

Thank you to all of our small businesses for everything you do!