Labor Day, which takes place on Monday, September 2, is celebrated by most people in the United States. It is the symbolic end of summer and a federal holiday. However, Labor Day is much more than a long weekend and a day off work. Labor Day honors the American labor movement and goes hand in hand with the mission of the nation’s small businesses -- to ensure economic prosperity. 

Labor Day, therefore, is also a day to honor small businesses and the people who contribute to their success, as there are over 30 million small businesses in America, accounting for more than 98 percent of U.S. businesses and employing almost 58 million people, i.e. the American worker. 

The Department of Labor had this to say about the American worker on Labor Day: “The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation’s strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker.”

Labor Day is a time of reflection, a time to think about the people employed by small businesses. For the small business owner, it is a time to think about not only rewarding your employees, but how to keep them motivated and instill loyalty. Labor Day is also a time of transition, as summer is over and the kids are back in school, and a time to think about how your business will move forward, new marketing strategies and how to finish the year on top. Labor Day is a time to celebrate you, the positive effect your business has on the nation’s economy and the employees that contribute greatly to your success. 

In the immortal words of Martin Luther King Jr., “No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.”