Facebook, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have announced a joint effort to help American small businesses grow and create jobs. The collaboration is aimed at helping small businesses acquire and retain customers, build user communities, and reach new customers from among the social networking giant’s 800 million users, said the NFIB in a statement.

Specifically, the partners will work together on a number of initiatives to help businesses, including providing resources, cross-country roadshows, and a initiative called Facebook Small Business Boost. Starting in January 2012 and following the education effort, Facebook will begin awarding businesses up to $10 million worth of free Facebook advertisements.  The goal of these ad credits is to give 200,000 businesses across the country a $50 boost.

In the U.S., small businesses employ more than half of all private sector workers and have generated more than 64 per cent of new jobs over the past 15 years.

E-say

Sheryl Sandberg (Chief operating officer, Facebook): Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy and we believe that Facebook can be a tremendous tool to fuel their growth and success. Our goal is to give small businesses a boost by helping them find customers the best way possible – through recommendations from friends.

Dan Danner (CEO, NFIB): NFIB’s research indicates that poor sales have been the top small-business problem for some time now, so help attracting customers will be most welcome for America’s job creators.

Thomas J. Donohue (President and CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce): Partnering with Facebook offers the Chamber’s small business members an opportunity to leverage one of the world’s most popular communities to connect with current and prospective customers.  As small businesses look for new ways to remain competitive, the Chamber will continue to provide innovative solutions for succeeding in an ever-evolving economy.