Meet The Inaugural Class Of The Next 1000 | The State Of Small Business Today | New York Fashion Week Backs 20 Black-Owned Businesses

Plus: 5 Principles To Keep Your Business Thriving In 2021

If the pandemic has proven anything, it’s that America’s entrepreneurial spirit is stronger than ever. Despite facing even the most difficult of circumstances, small businesses have remained resilient and determined to succeed. Three-quarters are optimistic about the ability of their businesses to recover and 82% feeling better prepared to handle a future crisis, according to a recent survey by American Express.

To shine a light on this new class of entrepreneurial hero, Forbes has created the Next 1000. Launched on February 16, this year-round initiative showcases the ambitious sole proprietors, self-funded shops and pre-revenue startups in every region of the country—all with under $10 million in revenue or funding but infinite drive and hustle. Fueled by your nominations and screened by top business minds and entrepreneurial superstars, at the year’s end, we’ll culminate with 1,000 new faces. 

Yesterday, we announced our inaugural “class” of 250 standouts who embody the best of the American dream right now. Nominations are still open. Send us your story today.

And below you’ll find more insights and practical guidance on how to make big business decisions in the face of ever-changing market headwinds and the pandemic. As always, thanks for reading. You can also follow me on Twitter and on LinkedIn.

"In spite of all the trials and tribulations that small businesses face, Covid-19 has actually provided an opportunity for them to level up due to their nimbleness, creating a competitive advantage against many larger companies struggling to be flexible."

Melissa Bradley

Managing partner at 1863 Ventures & adjunct professor at

Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business

Must Reads

Women own more than 11 million small businesses in the U.S. and, according to the National Association of Women Business Owners, are responsible for nearly $2 trillion in economic activity every year. However, these businesses are just 39% of all small businesses in the U.S.—and, like so many other aspects of the American economy, have been disproportionately affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Read more about the women of the inaugural class of Next 1000 here.

New York Fashion Week is teaming up with Visa to unveil The Beauty Edit: Glow, a limited-edition beauty box. The companies have enlisted Rajni Jacques, beauty expert and fashion director at Allure, to curate the kit, which includes an array of inclusive self-care products (think serums, body oils and lip moisturizers) from BIPOC women-owned small businesses. Read more here.

A female-led canned wine startup is using $14 million in fresh funding and a distribution deal with E. & J. Gallo to expand beyond its successful direct-to-consumer business and onto the shelves of some of the nation’s biggest retailers. See how they did it here. 

The notion of building yourself up or even bragging about your accomplishments is unnatural or uncomfortable for most people, but necessary to survival if you’re an entrepreneur. Here’s what you need to know.

Asha and Vivek Kangralkar, the husband-and-wife duo behind cookware company Avacraft, have been producing quality, price-conscious, culinary must-haves since 2015. Avacraft has nearly doubled its year-over-year growth since its inception, growing to 60,000 customers. Learn more about their story here. 

Across Forbes