As part of its commitment to serve the needs of small businesses, Citibank today launched a nationwide campaign to celebrate National Small Business Week through the entire month of May.

For the next month, Citibank branches across the United States will engage in a variety of activities and events to clearly demonstrate to local businesses how important they are to the fabric of our communities and to the overall economy – and that Citibank is here to meet their needs.

“At Citibank, we understand the crucial role that small businesses play in job creation and economic recovery in the United States,” said Raj Seshadri, the head of Small Business Banking at Citibank. “We are proud to celebrate America’s small business owners for their tireless commitment to their businesses, communities and customers, and for their invaluable contribution to our national economy.”

While National Small Business Week officially runs from May 16-20, Citibank will celebrate small businesses throughout the month of May.

Citibank kicks off its celebration today, May 3, with a national outreach day. Bankers from Citibank branches across the country will go into their communities to connect with more than 5,000 small businesses to thank them for their hard work and to let them know Citibank is here to help them succeed.

Overall, Citibank plans to reach tens of thousands of small businesses through its Small Business Week activities, which include client appreciation dinners, business breakfast panels, networking seminars, and financial workshops with local chambers of commerce and business development boards. In addition, Citibank will host Small Business Expos showcasing customers in Citibank branches, and continuing professional education seminars for accountants and lawyers.

Among the many events that Citibank will host:

• May 3 – Risk seminar with Jonathan Clements, Director of Financial Education, Citi Personal Wealth Management, in San Francisco
• May 13 – Business assistance workshop with the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County
• May 19 – Hospitality workshop in New York City with restaurateur Danny Meyer
• May 19 – Financial empowerment workshop with Duman Microenterprise Center and Chicago Community Ventures in Chicago
• May 24 – Washington Business Journal breakfast panel discussion in Washington, D.C.
• May 26 – Business seminar in Philadelphia featuring small business expert, New York Times columnist and business owner Gene Marks

Citibank’s celebration of National Small Business Week clearly demonstrates the bank’s commitment to small businesses, added Seshadri. “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and they deserve our appreciation and support,” said Seshadri. “We want business owners to know that we are committed to their growth and success, because at Citibank, small business is a big deal.”

About Citibank

Citibank is a member of Citi®, the leading global financial services company, which has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Through Citicorp and Citi Holdings, Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com.