ROSELAND, N.J., May 4, 2026 – Small business owners often face operational and workforce challenges that require resilience, adaptability and informed decision-making. In honor of National Small Business Week, ADP is recognizing 10 entrepreneurs through its Grit & Wisdom Awards, selected from nearly 1,300 small business stories, to share lessons that can help other business owners navigate disruption and build stronger foundations for growth.
Supporting more than 900,000 small businesses, ADP has nearly 77 years of hands-on experience helping small businesses manage their most critical workforce functions. The stories submitted to this year’s awards show how entrepreneurs are responding to real operational pressures, from cash flow and supplier issues to growth planning, employee leadership and business continuity.
In a continued series over the coming weeks, ADP will spotlight each winner’s story and the practical advice they have for fellow entrepreneurs.
Meet the 2026 Grit & Wisdom Award winners:
Small Business Spotlight: Luu Color Center:
When the founder and owner of Luu Color Center in Rockville, Maryland, passed away unexpectedly, his 27-year-old daughter Huong Luu took over the local paint store despite not having any experience. She quickly became responsible for the business with no succession plan or training period and navigated a period of significant uncertainty to honor her father’s legacy.
Rather than closing the business, she chose to restructure and transform the store into a unique destination for customers. Luu worked to stabilize cashflow, renegotiate supplier terms, lead employees, rebuild pricing models, operationalize backend processes, and establish structure to give the business a foundation for the future.
Luu shared, “Confidence didn’t arrive all at once, but it grew quietly through consistent action. I learned that a business cannot depend on one person’s knowledge alone. We rebuilt our operations so information lives in systems, not memory. I also learned that leadership is not about having all the answers. It’s about creating stability when others feel uncertain.”
Today, Luu continues to drive intentional growth for the business: “What began as a loss became an opportunity to rebuild the company with stronger foundations than ever before. We operate with clearer systems, stronger financial awareness and a leadership philosophy grounded in accountability rather than assumption. The wisdom I carry now is that resilience isn’t about returning to what was; it’s about becoming stronger because of what happened.”
For more small business stories and support, visit adp.com/gritandwisdom.
FAQs:
The awards highlight real examples of entrepreneurs navigating challenges such as cash flow pressure, operational disruption, leadership transitions, growth decisions and unexpected external events. Their stories offer practical lessons other business owners can apply as they strengthen their own operations.
Small businesses can build resilience by formalizing and documenting key processes, improving financial visibility, preparing for workforce and supplier disruptions, and creating systems that add structure and continuity to business processes. ADP’s Grit & Wisdom Award winners show how structure, adaptability and leadership can help businesses navigate challenges and drive growth.
ADP supports more than 900,000 small businesses with the workforce infrastructure that makes business possible. ADP’s HR and payroll solutions are designed to help businesses manage their most critical workforce functions with precision, compliance, and confidence.
