With over 1,000 businesses across all 50 states, GOBankingRates is ready to spotlight the best

Coffee shops, restaurants, bars, and gyms: these and other businesses that Americans frequent daily were impacted immensely when life came to a screeching halt as the COVID-19 pandemic hit. During its peak in May 2020, 23% of small and medium-sized businesses were closed and sadly, many of them ended up shutting their doors permanently.

With the darkest days of the pandemic hopefully behind us, many states have begun to reopen their economies, allowing all the small businesses that are near and dear to our hearts to finally reopen and return to the communities that adore them. But it will still be an uphill battle for many due to the tough year filled with so many obstacles to overcome. Therefore, small businesses need support more now than ever before.

GOBankingRates launched their Small Business Spotlight 2021 for this very reason -- to help get our nation's small businesses back on their feet after such a trying year. Readers from all over the country stepped up and nominated the businesses that they love and that make their daily lives that much better. GOBankingRates is so excited to shine a spotlight on what makes these businesses so loved by their customers and their communities.

ConsumerTrack, Inc., the parent company of GOBankingRates.com, started out as a small business 17 years ago and understands the ups and downs of running such a business. The leaders of ConsumerTrack believe small businesses are the backbone of this country and feel it is imperative to help these businesses get back to "normal" as quickly as they can by shining a bright light on the many special establishments in the United States.

"As a small business owner myself, I am proud of the work GOBankingRates is doing to highlight the small businesses across the country that make their cities and towns so great. This past year has been a challenging one for small businesses -- we've all had to pivot and adapt to the new reality," said Jeff Bartlett, Co-Founder and President of ConsumerTrack. "But now that we're coming out the other side, it's time to celebrate the small businesses across the U.S. that continue to thrive and benefit their local communities."

With more than 1,000 small businesses submitted, spanning across all 50 states, it shows just how passionate Americans are about the local businesses in their communities. From a Japanese burger food truck in Las Vegas to a music school for kids in New Jersey, quite an array of businesses were sent GOBankingRates' way. All the submitted businesses bring something very special to their local communities and GOBankingRates is extremely proud to recognize them.

"Small businesses are often the heart of their communities, and we wanted to give a national spotlight to the coffee shops, fitness studios, music venues, restaurants and more that positively impact the daily lives of the people in their neighborhoods," said Gabrielle Olya, Lead Writer at GOBankingRates. "Many of these businesses have struggled during the pandemic, and we are happy to share their stories of resiliency during this particularly challenging year."