A morning in Johnson Square becomes a reminder that Savannah’s growth story is still being written by its smallest players
Under a canopy of live oaks in historic Johnson Square, something quietly powerful took place.
It wasn’t just a ribbon cutting. It wasn’t just another event on the calendar.
It was a gathering of the people building Savannah from the ground up.
Business owners. City leaders. Economic developers. Community partners.
All standing in the very place where Savannah’s earliest commerce began nearly 300 years ago, marking the start of Small Business Week with a simple but meaningful message: this city still runs on the strength of its small businesses.
A City Built Small And Still Growing That Way
There’s something fitting about launching Small Business Week in Johnson Square.
As City Manager Jay Melder reminded the crowd, this is where some of Savannah’s first businesses took root back in 1733. And while the skyline has evolved and industries have expanded, the core truth hasn’t changed.
In Savannah, that identity still shows up in the small businesses that continue to shape its streets, neighborhoods, and daily life.
They’re the storefronts lining downtown streets, the service providers woven into neighborhoods across the city, and the business owners who took a chance here and stayed long enough to build something lasting.
It’s a point the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce emphasized: the role of small businesses here isn’t just cultural, it’s deeply tied to the local economy.
Roughly 85% of Chamber members are small businesses, another sign that much of Savannah’s growth is still being driven at the local level.
But numbers alone don’t tell the full story.
What stood out in Johnson Square wasn’t data. It was presence.
People showing up.
More Than a Ceremony, A Collaboration on Display
One of the clearest themes throughout the morning was collaboration.
Not in the abstract, but in a very visible, tangible way.
Leaders from across Savannah’s business ecosystem stood side by side, each representing a piece of the support system behind local entrepreneurs:
- City of Savannah leadership
- Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce
- Savannah Downtown Business Association
- Waterfront Community Improvement District
- Small Business Development Center
- Startup Savannah
- Savannah Master Calendar
Each voice added something different, but the message stayed consistent.
Small business success in Savannah is not happening in isolation.
It’s being built through partnerships.
As Chamber President Bert Brantley noted, the challenges facing small businesses today are real. Rising costs. Customer acquisition. Navigating technology. Economic uncertainty.
But so is their resilience.
And the path forward, as emphasized throughout the morning, is connection.
Working together. Sharing resources. Showing up.
The Energy Behind the Week
What this event really marked was the beginning of something larger.
A full week designed not just to celebrate small businesses, but to equip them.
From business summits and networking mixers to pitch competitions and procurement previews, the schedule is built around one goal: helping local businesses grow stronger.
Because while Savannah’s small business community is known for its grit, events like this acknowledge something important.
Grit alone isn’t enough.
Support matters.
Access matters.
Opportunity matters.
And this week is designed to open more of those doors.
Faces Behind the Movement
If you looked around the square, you could see the story playing out in real time.
Conversations happening in small circles under the trees.
Business owners shaking hands with city leaders.
Photos being taken. Interviews happening. Connections forming.
Then came the moment that made it official.
A bright red ribbon stretched across the space, framed by the backdrop of downtown Savannah and the gold dome in the distance. Leaders gathered, hands raised, smiles wide, and with one cut, the week began.
But what lingered wasn’t the ribbon.
It was the energy.
Why This Matters Right Now
Savannah is growing. That part is undeniable.
From port expansion to population increases to continued tourism strength, the region is seeing momentum on multiple fronts. The U.S. Census Bureau has consistently shown population growth in the Coastal Empire, and economic development efforts continue to bring new opportunities into the area.
But growth at the top doesn’t automatically translate to strength at the local level.
That’s where small businesses come in.
They are the bridge between economic development headlines and real, everyday community impact.
They create local jobs. Keep dollars circulating within the community. Shape the culture and character of neighborhoods. And perhaps most importantly, they make Savannah feel like Savannah.
Events like this don’t just celebrate that.
They reinforce it.
The Buzz Take
What happened in Johnson Square wasn’t just a kickoff.
It was a signal.
Savannah isn’t trying to grow by replacing what makes it unique. It’s trying to grow by strengthening it.
And at the center of that strategy is something simple, but powerful.
Support the people building here.
Not just during Small Business Week.
But every day after.
Because if Savannah’s future is going to be as strong as its past, it won’t be built by the biggest players alone.
It will be built by the ones who show up, open their doors, and keep going.
I am Chris Benton Co-Founder of The Coastal Buzz, Co-Host of The Chris & Sandy Show & Publisher of The Customized Ride.