SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — For the first time in two years, the U.S. Business Administration is finally able to celebrate National Small Business week, a tradition now 50 years strong of honoring and supporting the important role small businesses play in the local economy.

How South Dakota’s Small Business community has changed since the pandemic started in tonight’s Your Money Matters.

“It’s really nice this year to be back at it, and to really amplify the survival capability of these small businesses and the sustainability and to amplify that there was indeed a lot of growth, start up and growth for these businesses during the pandemic,” Jaime Wood, the District Director for the South Dakota District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration said.

Before the pandemic hit, the U.S. Small Business Administration showed South Dakota had a net increase of 344 new small businesses.

While Wood says they are still waiting on data to show exact numbers over the past two years, many believe the upward trend continued even through the pandemic.

“In South Dakota, it’s constantly growing; there are lots of businesses coming here,” Wood said.

“I definitely think there’s been a little bit of a diversification in the business community growth and what we’re seeing prevalently right now is an influx of remote workers coming to our area,” Startup Sioux Falls Executive Director Brienne Maner said.

Startup Sioux Falls says many of these remote workers moving to South Dakota are bringing with them new ideas and innovations from other parts of the country.

“These people are working for companies that are very diverse,” Maner said. “It’s important to us to bring them into the fold. We have a lot to learn about the gig economy and how to lean into that concept.”

It’s not just small businesses, but also new corporations choosing to move to South Dakota, which also creates some new opportunities for locally owned businesses.

“There’s an upside when the corporations come to town for small businesses, they can get a relationship with that corporation and become part of the supply chain,” Wood said. “From providing a tangible product to that corporation or a service like security, lawn maintenance, things like that.”

Today the U.S. Small Business Administration awarded special recognition to eight small businesses across the state.

The SBA says the best way for everyone to celebrate this special week is to support local small businesses in your community.