National Entrepreneurs' Day

Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart, but for those who come up with ideas, take risks, and start businesses. National Entrepreneurs' Day recognizes, celebrates, and honors entrepreneurs, particularly those in the United States, for all the hard work they do. It was created in 2010 by David Hauser and Siamak Taghaddos—co-founders of Grasshopper, "the entrepreneur's phone system"—and Amir Tehrani, an entrepreneur and co-founder of The Legacy Foundation.

National Entrepreneurs' Day was started at a time when the country was still recovering from the Great Recession. Hauser and Taghaddos thought that "the only people who are going to turn around the economy and really create jobs are entrepreneurs." They wanted to create the day because they saw there was no single holiday that recognized individual entrepreneurs and the ways they've made the economy stronger and the country and world more innovative. They created National Entrepreneurs' Day as an American holiday that "celebrates the American men and women who promote entrepreneurship, business, innovation, and new jobs."

Hauser and Taghaddos got support from fellow entrepreneurs and then launched a Twitter campaign in an attempt to get President Obama to make a National Entrepreneurs' Day proclamation. This included a petition, which they called "A Twitter Petition to the First Ever President on Twitter." They were assisted by the Kauffman Foundation, who brought a bigger awareness of the day to Washington, helping it achieve its goal. The efforts of Hauser and Taghaddos were fruitful. President Obama had declared a National Entrepreneurship Week in November the previous year, and once again did so in 2010, but this time acknowledged National Entrepreneurs' Day as well.

In 2011, a National Entrepreneurship Month was proclaimed by the president, and beginning the next year, National Entrepreneurship Month proclamations included acknowledgment of National Entrepreneurs' Day as well. Presidential proclamations for National Entrepreneurship Month, where National Entrepreneurs' Day is acknowledged, have continued since.

From 2010 through 2013, the holiday was celebrated on a Friday, but beginning in 2014 it was moved to the third Tuesday of November. There has been a continued effort to make National Entrepreneurs' Day an official holiday in the United States, beyond the presidential proclamations. House Resolution 401 in 2013 and House Resolution 511 in 2015 were introduced. Similar bills have been introduced in the Senate, with Senate Resolution 314 being agreed to in 2015.

How to Observe National Entrepreneurs' Day

Some ways National Entrepreneurs' Day can be observed include:

• Thank any entrepreneurs you know. If you are an entrepreneur, thank those who helped you get to where you are.
• If you are a business owner or have been an entrepreneur for a long time, become a mentor for a new entrepreneur.
• Throw a party for an entrepreneur.
• Focus on your business, or start a new one.
• Helping a budding entrepreneur by loaning them money or connecting them with someone who can help them in some way.
• Loan to entrepreneurs around the world with Kiva.
• Support a project on Kickstarter.
• Host a pop-up where entrepreneurs and startups can sell their goods or promote their business.
• Write to your representatives urging them to support legislation that helps entrepreneurs. You could also urge them to support legislation that officially designates National Entrepreneurs' Day.
• Share on social media about how you'll be celebrating and use the hashtag #HugAnEntrepreneur.
• Find more information about the day on its official website.

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