By the numbers: Triangle Small Business Week

This week is Small Business Week, a week dedicated to celebrating and supporting the small businesses across our area.

LIST: Triangle Small Business Week Events

"I think it's people coming with new ideas and wanting to do something cool," said Dustin Slemp of Raleigh.

This week will highlight the local gems in places like 9th Street in Durham and Heirloom in Raleigh. And for people like Slemp - who have always called the Triangle home - it's the small businesses that make our community special.

Triangle small businesses by the numbers:

• Small businesses in the Triangle employ over 81,000 people
• More than 80 percent of businesses in the Raleigh Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) are small businesses with 20 employees or fewer.
• Raleigh is in the top 10 best cities for startups to be based in

Want to support local businesses? Check out these area stores.