Who can help you solve the next business problem?
For a small business owner, a useful introduction might mean a better-fit customer, a capable employee or someone who can help make sense of the numbers.
May’s edition looks at Small Business Week, the local support behind new businesses, and how to make referrals more useful for the people receiving them.
May 2026 archive edition · Prepared October 15, 2026 using sources published by May 2026. Historical results below refer to 2025 and are not current-year totals.
May 3–9 put small businesses in the spotlight.
The U.S. Small Business Administration designated May 3–9 as National Small Business Week 2026. Its April announcement scheduled a free virtual summit for May 5–6, covering topics including digital marketing, business planning, human resources and AI.
Sources: SBA’s dates announcement and April 6, 2026 summit announcement. These are historical event dates.
Our take: Recognition matters, but owners also need practical help. Ask a business owner what is consuming time or holding up a decision. Their answer gives you a better starting point for an introduction than a general offer to “help them grow.”
647 clients. 51 new businesses. A closer look at regional support.
The University of Arkansas reported the following 2025 results for its Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center:
Clients assisted.
New businesses helped to launch.
Capital transactions supported.
$32,797,892 in funding secured for Arkansas entrepreneurs.
Those are results attributed to the U of A center, not a count of all NWA businesses or the region’s total investment. The university described the center’s support as including business planning, financial analysis, market research and access to capital.
Source: University of Arkansas announcement, February 3, 2026. Reporting period: calendar year 2025.
Our take: “I need more sales” may be the symptom. The underlying issue could be an unclear offer, weak follow-up, pricing or a capacity constraint. Name the decision you need help making before looking for the right person.
Local business support reaches the neighborhood storefront.
A January 30 U of A report identified Red Barn Donuts in Rogers as an ASBTDC client and documented a January 21 visit to the business. It is a concrete local example of the kinds of businesses served by the center.
Source: University of Arkansas report, January 30, 2026. This coverage does not establish a ConnectNWA partnership, endorsement or membership.
Our take: The businesses people use every week belong in the region’s business conversation alongside startups and larger employers. A neighborhood business may need a bookkeeper, a reliable vendor or a manager just as urgently as a growing office-based company.
A useful referral explains the fit.
Confirm that both people welcome an introduction before sharing contact details.
Explain the problem, relevant experience and any timing or budget constraints.
Suggest one short conversation with a clear purpose.
Example introduction: “You both said you’d welcome an introduction. Taylor runs a small service business in Rogers and wants to improve monthly financial reporting. Morgan works with businesses of that size. Would a 20-minute conversation next week be useful?”
Names and circumstances are illustrative, not member profiles or a recommendation of a provider.
Keep the introduction brief. Let both people decide whether the fit is right, and avoid promising an outcome on someone else’s behalf.
Bring one specific request to ConnectNWA.
Tell us what you’re building, where you operate and the kind of help you need. If you can offer expertise, tell us who you can help and what time you have available.
Share your business need →Offer your expertise · Explore community events · Discover Local Love
ConnectNWA reviews connection requests. Introductions depend on relevance, availability and mutual interest.
Have a local business story or resource we should consider for a future issue? Send it our way.
Joanna Bunten
Founder, ConnectNWA