Home Wealth Project
Extensive Research On How To Build Wealth From The Comfort Of Your Own Home.
Contest and Awards Roundup for SMBs
Dec 4th
This list of contests, competitions and awards for small businesses is brought to you every other week as a community service by Small Business Trends and Smallbiztechnology.com.
Also, if you’ve entered and won a contest or award listed here, let us know so we can share your news.
-
* * * * *
2012 Business Excellence Awards
Enter by December 15, 2011
The Business Excellence Awards serve as a conclusion to the two-day Business Excellence Forum, and honors those business owners and their companies who have taken their companies, teams and results to “the next level” of success. The award will recognize businesses for outstanding results in any service category. Any service business is eligible for this award, provided their results were outstanding and measurable. Sponsored by ActionCOACH.
The Experienced Dreamers Contest
Enter by December 16, 2011
Pittsburgh is looking for Experienced Dreamers – people with a bit of experience under their belts and a desire to do something different with their lives. If that sounds like you, this is your once-in-a-lifetime chance to win $100,000 to move there and realize your dream! The Experienced Dreamers™ contest is all about getting you to think about your dream – whatever it is you believe you were born to do – and asking if you have the courage to pick up your life, move to Pittsburgh and make it real. See website for details.
Women in Business
Enter by December 17, 2011
There are many outstanding women who are senior level executives, entrepreneurs and CEO’s that are celebrated at the Annual Women in Business Luncheon. These women have mastered their industries and are admired by the business community.
Join the Hartford Business Journal in celebrating the feats of these strong and remarkable business women; eight outstanding women will be showcased in a special section of the Hartford Business Journal and recognized at the Annual Women’s Business Luncheon. These women are senior level executives, CEO’s and entrepreneurs in the Hartford community.
LegalZoom Free Commerical Contest
Enter through December 31, 2011
Contest participants are asked to create a 25-second commercial featuring their business, and upload the video to the LegalZoom Facebook page, where the contest winner will be selected through a voting system. LegalZoom will purchase a minimum of $20,000 of airtime for the winning commercial to be broadcast to a national audience. That translates to a minimum of 50 free spots for the winning business owner.
2012 DREAM BIG Small Business of the Year Award
Enter by January 6, 2012
Nominate an outstanding business from your community or submit your own application for the 2012 DREAM BIG Small Business of the Year Award, sponsored by Sam’s Club.
All award winners will be honored during America’s Small Business Summit on May 22 in Washington, DC. Blue Ribbon Award® winners will receive one complimentary registration to attend the Summit, courtesy of Sam’s Club. Nominations are due January 6, and applications are due January 13. The winner will receive a $10,000 cash prize, courtesy of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
MacMall Medical Office Makeover Contest
Enter by January 16, 2012
The Medical Office Makeover Contest features a prize for larger offices with 11 or more employees valued at nearly $17,000, and a prize for offices with 1-10 employees valued at over $6,000. The highly sought after products featured in the contest include Ergotron carts; HP workstations, monitors and digital signs; Fujitsu scanners; Wasp time and attendance tracking; Nuance medical dictation, and other high-value hardware and software from Xerox, Plantronics, Fellowes, ioSafe, Meraki, and Dymo.
Vision 33 Small Business Makeover Contest
Enter by January 31, 2012
This holiday season, one lucky small business will win the SAP Business One Starter Package, 40 hours of professional services and maintenance from Vision33 for a year! There is no charge, no expectations and no purchase necessary to enter the Small Business Makeover Contest – all you have to do is fill out an online form and tell why you think your business deserves to win.
The Amazing Entrepreneur
Enter by February 29, 2012
The 2nd Annual Amazing Entrepreneur Business Plan Competition is an initiative by Gwinnett Chamber Economic Development and The University of Georgia Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to foster new business development in Gwinnett County, GA. The contest is open to individuals who own or manage a small business, which has been in operation less than 36 months, in Gwinnett County.
The Grand Prize winner will receive $2500 cash to be used solely for the business entering the contest, a trip to Sage Software’s Customer Conference in Nashville, TN (airfare, hotel stay, conference fees), one-year membership to Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, one-year participation in the Chamber’s Gwinnett Business Institute program ($180 value), a consultation with an attorney from Arnall Golden Gregory ($2500 value), and research assistance from Chamber’s economic development department
To find more small business events, contests and awards, visit our Small Business Events Calendar.
If you are putting on a small business contest, award or competition, and want to get the word out to the community, please submit it through our Small Business Event and Contests Form (it’s free).
Please note: The descriptions provided here are for convenience only and are NOT the official rules. ALWAYS read official rules carefully at the site holding the competition, contest or award.
Contest and Awards Roundup for SMBs
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
More Small Business Contests and Awards For You!
Oct 30th
This list of contests, competitions and awards for small businesses is brought to you every other week as a community service by Small Business Trends and Smallbiztechnology.com.
If you’ve entered and won a contest or award listed here, let us know so we can share your news.
-
* * * * *
Get the Exposure You Deserve Sweepstakes
Enter through October 31, 2011
Alpha Pixel Media is giving away three great digital marketing prizes for small businesses to boost their traffic and increase their Facebook “likes” and Twitter “follows.” The Grand Prize is a custom Facebook Landing Page Tab design for their Page. Second place wins a custom Twitter background. Third place wins a brief search engine optimization plan for their current site.
Hiscox $10,000 “MyStartUpStory” Contest
Enter by November 7, 2011
Hiscox is looking for entrepreneurs, consultants and other small business owners to share their startup stories and advice for a chance to win $10,000 and other prizes. The Hiscox “MyStartUpStory” Contest will run through November 7, 2011, and is open to all U.S. small business owners on the Hiscox Small Business Insurance Facebook page.
Entrants need to submit a two- to five-minute video or a written summary of up to 500 words describing their startup story and small business advice for a chance to win. All submissions will be featured on the Hiscox Small Business Insurance Facebook page during the contest.
U.S. Bank “Look Up with US” $15,000 Challenge
Enter by November 15, 2011
U.S. Bank is asking the question: “Why is your business looking up?” Reply via the app at Facebook.com/usbank, and you’ll be entered to win up to $15,000. Your company also gets free publicity. Your entry will be displayed on the Facebook page along with your logo/photo and contact information.
Tweet-to-Win Contest With Brother and Startup Nation
Enter through December 9, 2011
StartupNation has partnered with Brother to bring you the Tweet To Win contest, in which you can respond to a burning small business question for the chance to win a Brother P-touch labeler, absolutely free!
Small business owners/workers are encouraged to participate and tweet their responses (using #brothersun). Then every other Friday, a winner is selected at random and wins a Brother P-touch labeler. See website for details and the latest question.
2012 Business Excellence Awards
Enter by December 15, 2011
The Business Excellence Awards serve as a conclusion to the two-day Business Excellence Forum, and honors those business owners and their companies who have taken their companies, teams and results to “the next level” of success. The award will recognize businesses for outstanding results in any service category. Any service business is eligible for this award, provided their results were outstanding and measurable. Sponsored by ActionCOACH.
2012 DREAM BIG Small Business of the Year Award
Enter by January 6, 2012
Nominate an outstanding business from your community or submit your own application for the 2012 DREAM BIG Small Business of the Year Award, sponsored by Sam’s Club.
All award winners will be honored during America’s Small Business Summit on May 22 in Washington, DC. Blue Ribbon Award® winners will receive one complimentary registration to attend the Summit, courtesy of Sam’s Club. Nominations are due January 6, and applications are due January 13. The winner will receive a $10,000 cash prize, courtesy of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
To find more small business events, contests and awards, visit our Small Business Events Calendar.
If you are putting on a small business contest, award or competition, and want to get the word out to the community, please submit it through our Small Business Event and Contests Form (it’s free).
Please note: The descriptions provided here are for convenience only and are NOT the official rules. ALWAYS read official rules carefully at the site holding the competition, contest or award.
More Small Business Contests and Awards For You!
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
Small Business Contests and Awards Guide
Oct 16th
This list of contests, competitions and awards for small businesses is brought to you every other week as a community service by Small Business Trends and Smallbiztechnology.com.
If you’ve entered and won a contest or award listed here, let us know so we can share your news.
-
* * * * *
Small Business Veteran Award
Enter by October 24, 2011
The Shenandoah Valley Small Business Development Center is accepting nominations for its Small Business Veteran Award. This award recognizes a veteran who has made a significant contribution to the economy of the Shenandoah Valley and makes a difference in his/her community.
To be eligible, the veteran must own, or have owned, at least 51 percent of a small business based in the Shenandoah Valley for one year, and show innovative or successful efforts to promote small business development and economic growth. The nominee must have been honorably discharged from active duty or could still be active in Reserve or National Guard units.
Get the Exposure You Deserve Sweepstakes
Enter through October 31, 2011
Alpha Pixel Media is giving away three great digital marketing prizes for small businesses to boost their traffic and increase their Facebook “likes” and Twitter “follows.” The Grand Prize is a custom Facebook Landing Page Tab design for their Page. Second place wins a custom Twitter background. Third place wins a brief search engine optimization plan for their current site.
Hiscox $10,000 “MyStartUpStory” Contest
Enter by November 7, 2011
Hiscox is looking for entrepreneurs, consultants and other small business owners to share their startup stories and advice for a chance to win $10,000 and other prizes. The Hiscox “MyStartUpStory” Contest will run through November 7, 2011, and is open to all U.S. small business owners on the Hiscox Small Business Insurance Facebook page.
Entrants need to submit a two- to five-minute video or a written summary of up to 500 words describing their startup story and small business advice for a chance to win. All submissions will be featured on the Hiscox Small Business Insurance Facebook page during the contest.
U.S. Bank “Look Up with US” $15,000 Challenge
Enter by November 15, 2011
U.S. Bank is asking the question: “Why is your business looking up?” Reply via the app at Facebook.com/usbank, and you’ll be entered to win up to $15,000. Your company also gets free publicity. Your entry will be displayed on the Facebook page along with your logo/photo and contact information.
Tweet-to-Win Contest With Brother and Startup Nation
Enter through December 9, 2011
StartupNation has partnered with Brother to bring you the Tweet To Win contest, in which you can respond to a burning small business question for the chance to win a Brother P-touch labeler, absolutely free!
Small business owners/workers are encouraged to participate and tweet their responses (using #brothersun). Then every other Friday, a winner is selected at random and wins a Brother P-touch labeler. See website for details and the latest question.
2012 Business Excellence Awards
Enter by December 15, 2011
The Business Excellence Awards serve as a conclusion to the two-day Business Excellence Forum, and honors those business owners and their companies who have taken their companies, teams and results to “the next level” of success. The award will recognize businesses for outstanding results in any service category. Any service business is eligible for this award, provided their results were outstanding and measurable. Sponsored by ActionCOACH.
2012 DREAM BIG Small Business of the Year Award
Enter by January 6, 2012
Nominate an outstanding business from your community or submit your own application for the 2012 DREAM BIG Small Business of the Year Award, sponsored by Sam’s Club.
All award winners will be honored during America’s Small Business Summit on May 22 in Washington, DC. Blue Ribbon Award® winners will receive one complimentary registration to attend the Summit, courtesy of Sam’s Club. Nominations are due January 6, and applications are due January 13. The winner will receive a $10,000 cash prize, courtesy of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
To find more small business events, contests and awards, visit our Small Business Events Calendar.
If you are putting on a small business contest, award or competition, and want to get the word out to the community, please submit it through our Small Business Event and Contests Form (it’s free).
Please note: The descriptions provided here are for convenience only and are NOT the official rules. ALWAYS read official rules carefully at the site holding the competition, contest or award.
Small Business Contests and Awards Guide
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
Contests, Competitions and Awards for Small Businesses
Sep 4th
This list of contests, competitions and awards for small businesses is brought to you every other week as a community service by Small Business Trends and Smallbiztechnology.com.
If you’ve entered and won a contest or award listed here, let us know so we can share your news.
-
* * * * *
Small Business, Big Innovation Competition
Enter by September 5, 2011
Facing tough times, many entrepreneurs did something creative, imaginative or cutting-edge with their business models, which allowed them to survive and thrive. The Wall Street Journal invites eligible businesses to apply by telling them about the challenge your business faced; the innovative solution you put in place; and the significant milestone – such as vastly improved revenue or expansion into new markets – that has resulted.
All entries that match the criteria will be featured on this blog. Readers will vote for their favorite stories and a panel of judges will select 10 finalists – and an ultimate winner – who will be featured in the Journal’s Small Business report, which publishes Nov. 21, 2011
Intuit Entrepreneur Day 2011
Enter by September 9, 2011
Intuit is scouting for start-ups and entrepreneurs to partner with. Whether it’s mobile, cloud computing, or data analytics technology, Intuit is looking for companies that have a solution that will support its mission to improve the financial lives of its millions of customers. Those companies who apply and then get selected will meet with Intuit business leaders and have one-on-one time to demo their products.
The deadline to apply is September 9th and the actual event with Intuit’s founder, Scott Cook, and CEO, Brad Smith, along with many other influential executives, will be held on October 6th at Intuit’s Mountain View, Calif. campus.
America’s Favorite Small Business
Enter by September 11, 2011
Dell, MasterCard and Microsoft are teaming together to search for “America’s Favorite Small Business.” This 13- week contest invites small businesses to submit a short video explaining why they should be America’s Favorite Small Business (AFSB) and claim the $75,000 prize package.
Cleantech Open Idea Competition
Enter by September 12, 2011
The Cleantech Open runs the world’s largest clean technology business competition, and they’re looking for the best clean technology ideas from around the world.
Enter to win a prize package of services worth $100,000 to help you start a business and grow your idea. If your idea beats out the competition in the National Competition, you get to represent your country as a Global Ideas finalist at the annual Cleantech Open Awards Gala on November 17, 2011, in San Francisco. There, your idea will be presented in a five-minute pitch in front of a crowd of 2,500 investors, entrepreneurs, sponsoring companies, corporations, members of academia, press and others interested in hearing your ideas and getting involved. The crowd will vote via text message for the “People’s Choice” winner.
Women Who Mean Business 2011
Enter by September 16, 2011
The Washington Business Journal announces the eighth annual Women Who Mean Business awards program. This award is designed to honor the region’s most influential businesswomen. We’re looking for women from every industry and profession; women who’ve made a difference in their communities, blazed a trail for the rest of us and are leaving a mark on the Washington-area community.
Nominees must be female residents of the Washington area who are employed in the region.
A nominee should be an established business leader with a strong record of innovation in her field, outstanding performance in her business and/or a clear track record of meaningful community involvement.
Dream Big Grow Here Business Grant Contest
Enter by September 23, 2011
Northeast Iowa Business Network and MyEntre.Net, Iowa’s online community for Iowa entrepreneurs and small business, have announced the launch of the new “Dream Big, Grow Here” contest for small businesses in Northeast Iowa.
Applicants can submit a video or email about their business and share their dreams for how they would like to grow their Iowa company and what it means to them to be in business in Iowa.
Other visitors to Dream Big Grow Here will have the opportunity to vote on the ideas they like the best, with the winning entrepreneur will receive $5,000 for their business. Regional winners can then go on to compete for the grand prize of $10,000 against the other regional winners.
ProjectREV
Enter by September 30, 2011
Project REV was launched in 2010 as a contest that gives small business owners a chance to receive a yearlong marketing makeover. Each participant is teamed up with a Deluxe marketing advisor and a business counselor from SCORE. At the kick-off event, the business owner will work with their advisor to analyze the business’s current marketplace situation and create a customized plan applying up to $15,000 in marketing products and services from Deluxe, including website design and hosting, branding, social media marketing, SEO, email marketing and more. See the website for more details.
Road Warrior 2.0 Challenge
Enter by October 6, 2011
Hyatt Place has launched the Road Warrior 2.0 Challenge, asking real-world business travelers to help redefine today’s Road Warrior for a chance to win a head-to-toe business traveler makeover. To enter the contest, visit www.facebook.com/hyattplace and tell how you embody or define the modern day Road Warrior, and create an original, fun name for the modern day Road Warrior.
Weekly winners receive a free night at Hyatt Place, and a grand prize winner will win a complete head-to-toe business makeover to help this “Road Warrior 2.0” maximize their efficiency on the road, and have a little fun along the way.
To find more small business events, contests and awards, visit our Small Business Events Calendar.
If you are putting on a small business contest, award or competition, and want to get the word out to the community, please submit it through our Small Business Event and Contests Form (it’s free).
Please note: The descriptions provided here are for convenience only and are NOT the official rules. ALWAYS read official rules carefully at the site holding the competition, contest or award.
Contests, Competitions and Awards for Small Businesses
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
Small Business Influencers 2011 Awards: Announcing Final Results
Aug 29th
This past week we announced the Champions and Honorable Mentions in the Small Business Influencer 2011 Awards. You may not yet have seen the award announcement, so I thought I’d also share it here.
The Small Business Influencer Awards, for those who don’t know, is a recognition of people, organizations and companies with demonstrated commitment to serving North American small businesses.
We live in the age of social media. After all, even the Weather Channel now covers Twitter conversations …. So, we thought it was only fitting to integrate a significant social media element into the awards. Here is how the awards worked:
- They started with open nominations. Anybody could nominate those they felt deserved recognition. Many awards charge several hundred or several thousand dollars to enter. However, we charged no fees. We wanted the widest nominations possible — not just those who could afford the entrance fee. To underwrite the costs, we approached companies we had relationships with. BlackBerry, our title sponsor, and Infusionsoft and Sage also raised their hands — BIG thank you! They not only brought financial support, but just as important, they brought active social media and marketing support.
- Once nominations closed, the community had 30 days to vote. Anyone could vote, once per day, for as many nominees as they wished. We allowed daily voting because it was a way for supporters of nominees to show how strongly they supported the nominee. The idea was to measure not just numbers of supporters, but the passion and depth of that support. Ultimately 125,164 votes were cast, for 520 nominees.
- After that, a panel of expert Judges voted. The community voting was weighted at 40% and the Judges’ voting was weighted at 60%. The Judges are those who know the small business landscape, and bring knowledge of a variety of industries and subject matters — from franchising, to software and apps, to hardware, to marketing, to legal, to operations, to finance — you name it.
- After the votes were tabulated, the top 100 influencers for 2011 were named. We also ended up with a large number of nominees who came in very close on the overall votes, or had particularly strong community followings, or ranked high in their category for the combined community/Judges’ votes. We designated them Honorable Mentions. Congratulations to the Honorable Mentions, too!
Below are the Top 100 Champions — the Small Business Influencers of 2011. They are listed in alphabetical order. Beside each nominee is a comment about one thing they are known for):
Abrams, Rhonda (USAToday small-business columnist and author of “The Owner’s Manual for Small Business”)
AllBusiness.com (comprehensive website about business matters, with emphasis on financial and operations)
America’s Small Business Development Center Network (the 1,000 ASBDCs across the U.S. provide free counseling to small businesses)
Armstrong, Mario (small business tech advocate – Emmy winning TV show host)
Babson College (known for its entrepreneurship studies; co-founder of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor)
Ball, Alison (responsible for relations between Intuit and CPA/accounting societies)
Barone, Lisa (writes about social media, blogging and SEO for small businesses — popular columnist here at Small Business Trends)
Bates, Cindy (Vice President of Microsoft’s SMB marketing in the United States — even if you’ve never meet her, she has had an impact on your business through the Microsoft products you use)
Bellamkonda, Shashi (social media swami who brought a human face to Network Solutions and has connected well with the small business market)
Berry, Tim (the “father” of business planning software — founder of Palo Alto Software, the creators of Business Plan Pro. Added plus: he’s approachable through social media)
Better Business Bureau (the BBB arms small businesses in the U.S. and Canada with a way to demonstrate trust to the public)
Black Enterprise (powerhouse magazine and media company serving African American small business owners)
Blumenthal, Mike (thought leader in local search for small businesses – has educated small businesses across the U.S. through the GetListed Local University events)
Borders + Gratehouse (public relations firm with deep expertise in helping tech companies reach today’s — not yesterday’s — small businesses)
Brelsford, Harry (founder of SMB Nation, the well-known community for SMB tech resellers and IT consultants)
Brodsky, Norm (former business owner, now the “Street Smarts” columnist at Inc)
Cisco Small Business (for excellence in secure computer networking solutions, along with its educational outreach to small businesses)
Citrix Online (Citrix products have freed small businesses to operate lean and mean, by “meeting” online from anywhere)
Clark, Brian (Web thought leader in copywriting, aka the CopyBlogger)
Connolly, Joe (works for the Wall Street Journal, where he provides business reports for New York’s WCBS radio)
Constant Contact (pioneer in email marketing software specifically suited to small businesses)
Cornwall, Jeff (Director of Belmont University’s Center for Entrepreneurship — and a former business owner who not only has academic knowledge but understands what business owners face — and is a blogger, too)
DeBaise, Colleen (until recently, the Small Business Editor for the Wall Street Journal)
Delaney, Laurel (thought leader in exporting and global business for small businesses)
Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp (has helped countless small businesses establish their credit rating, a precursor to getting credit)
Eberson, Ilana (President of the New York City Business Networking Group, and a one-woman event-organizing army!)
Elance (online marketplace for small businesses to find project staff, and also a means to find business for thousands of freelancers and entrepreneurs)
Emerson, Melinda (author and founder of the longest-standing Twitter chat dedicated small business, #smallbizchat)
Entrepreneur (well-known magazine for entrepreneurs – also covers franchising)
Fenn, Donna (author of “Upstarts!” and “Alpha Dogs”, and Inc columnist)
Goltz, Jay (reaches small businesses through the You’re the Boss blog at the New York Times)
Google (its online productivity tools have lowered operating costs and enhanced efficiency for multitudes of small businesses)
Greene, Patricia (Professor of Entrepreneurship at Babson College, with expertise in women entrepreneurs acquiring resources including venture capital)
Gregory, Alyssa (online community leader and blogger on small biz topics)
Guardian Life Insurance Company (serves small business owners, but gets the nod for “influencer” due to its innovative “What Matters Most” Index recognizing motivations and emotional drivers of business owners)
Hoover’s (relied on by small businesses and startup entrepreneurs for marketing campaign data)
Hewitt, John T. (founder and CEO of Liberty Tax Service – has provided opportunities for over 3,000 small-business franchisees in the U.S. and Canada)
HP MagCloud (enables any small business or entrepreneur to publish a print magazine, from online)
HubSpot (innovator in online marketing — recent example: announcing the acquisition of One Forty through a series of tweets)
Inc. Magazine (creator of the Inc 500/5000 list of fast-growing private businesses)
Intuit (long known for QuickBooks, the accounting software used by millions of small businesses, Intuit also gets a nod for its do-it-yourself website tools which it recently improved)
It’s Your Biz (formerly SBTV.com, this is an online website and media company serving small businesses)
Jantsch, John (author of “Duct Tape Marketing” and thought leader in small business marketing)
Kahn, Richard K. (CEO of pay-per-click company eZanga, and online advertising innovator)
Kerrigan, Karen (an expert on government policies affecting small businesses, and CEO of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council)
Kukral, Jim (thought leader in creative forms of online marketing on a tight budget, and author of “Attention! This Book Will make You Money”)
Kurtz, Rod (editor of HuffPost Small Business)
Lawson, John (thought leader and speaker on eCommerce, and on small businesses leveraging the Amazon and eBay sales platforms)
Lesonsky, Rieva (few journalists have covered the small business beat with Rieva’s length and depth of experience – ’nuff said)
Levin, Robert (founder and Publisher of the New York Enterprise Report, a magazine reaching over 30,000 small businesses — known for its detailed how-to articles by practitioners)
Manta (its online database of 64 million businesses is THE largest dedicated to business profiles)
Marks, Gene (columnist at New York Times and Forbes; he speaks with hands-on knowledge gained from his consulting firm that helps small business streamline their processes)
Mask, Clate (thought leader in marketing automation for small businesses, author of “Conquer the Chaos” and co-founder of Infusionsoft)
McCabe, Laurie (analyst with deep knowledge of the small business market; partner of SMB Group)
McCray, Becky (thought leader on rural small-business; typifies a small business by owning several: a liquor store, cattle ranch, and grant writing consultancy — oh and she’s a speaker in social media)
Merlino, Nell (women’s business advocate; founder of Count Me In and Make Mine a Million to provide business coaching and financial awards to propel women business owners over that $1 Million in revenue mark)
Miller, Sharon (CEO of the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center; serves low-to-moderate income entrepreneurs to help them start businesses)
Mills, Jerry L. (CEO of B2B CFO, which provides part-time chief financial officers — created an innovative model for small businesses not able to afford a full-time CFO)
Microsoft (its partner and certified specialist programs have enabled thousands of small business consultants to build businesses and thrive, and its BizSpark program has given 40,000 startups a helping hand)
National Federation of Independent Business (the NFIB advocates for small businesses on tough issues; known for its Small Business Optimism Index)
Nilssen, David (founder of Guidant Financial, and a thought leader in innovative forms of financing for small businesses)
New York Times (the “You’re the Boss” blog and its Small Business section bring a sophisticated perspective to small business reportage)
Nolo (pioneered plain-language legal documents, making legal forms and related information understandable by small business owners)
O’Berry, Denise (author of “Small Business Cash Flow,” and a frequent speaker and writer on small business topics)
ODesk (its innovative online employment platform lets small businesses hire staff, collaborate online, verify online time sheets and pay online)
O’Hara, Pamela (CEO of BatchBlue Software, she’s also a driving force behind The Small Business Web, a directory of small-business apps and their APIs)
OPEN Forum (a small business community stuffed with information and tools — a model for a large vendor-run community site)
PartnerUp (online community and discussion board for small businesses, by Deluxe; notable for allowing small businesses to present opportunities to partner with other small businesses)
Ploeger, Nancy (her tireless work as President of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce has positioned her as the “face” of small business in New York City)
Popick, Janine (thought leader in email marketing and CEO of Vertical Response; her blog and tips for small businesses are prescriptive and practical)
Ramberg, JJ (host of MSNBC’s “Your Business,” the only television show dedicated to issues affecting small business owners)
Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center (a unique model supporting entrepreneurs who are economically disadvantaged, including ex-offenders)
Roth, Carol (author of “The Entrepreneur Equation” and a thought leader in business strategy for entrepreneurs)
Sage (has over 3 million SMB customers in North America using accounting, HR and CRM software
SBA (the U.S. Small Business Administration is a model the world over for government helping expand small business access to credit)
SCORE (highly respected network of 13,000 volunteer counselors in the U.S. helping small businesses and startups)
Shah, Dharmesh (founder and CTO of HubSpot, and an energetic thought leader on “inbound marketing”)
Shaheen, Jennifer (speaker and Web design technologist helping small businesses with website/social media makeovers)
Shane, Scott (Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Weatherhead School of Management, and author of several stereotype-challenging books on entrepreneurship)
Shephard, Bob (executive at the National Entrepreneur Center fka the Disney Entrepreneur Center)
Shinder, Marcy (leads programs at American Express OPEN designed to educate business owners in card usage and benefits — a key internal champion behind OPENForum.com initially)
Simonds, Lauren (managing editor of Small Business Computing; thought leader in small business technology)
Simmons, Michael (as co-founder of the Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour, Michael influences thousands of aspiring business owners on college campuses)
Stanleigh, Sean (editor of “Report on Small Business” at The Globe and Mail, with deep knowledge of the Canadian small business landscape)
Startup Nation (community of 100,000+ startup entrepreneurs, and home of the Home-Based Business Awards)
Strauss, Steve (USA Today columnist of “Ask an Expert” and author of “The Small Business Bible”)
University at Buffalo School of Management Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (they
UPS (making global shipping and logistics easy for small businesses; has made an educational outreach to the small business community)
U.S. Chamber of Commerce (a business federation representing chambers of commerce and other business organizations that advocates for a positive environment to do business in)
Verizon Wireless (millions of small businesses use Verizon to connect their mobile devices; Verizon has also done educational outreach to the small business community)
Vistaprint (millions of small businesses have ordered low-volume print jobs economically through its website; known for its free business card offer)
Wall, Aaron (thought leader in search engine optimization; tens of thousands of small businesses use the SEOBook.com tools that he has invested in creating)
Wall Street Journal (the U.S.’s largest newspaper maintains a relevant and energetic Small Business Section online)
Ward, Missy (co-founder of Affiliate Summit, the leading tradeshow for the multi-billion dollar affiliate industry that legions of small businesses earn income from)
Ward, Susan (long-time editor of About.com’s Small Business Canada site)
Weltman, Barbara (small business tax expert with a knack for explaining complex tax issues affecting small businesses, in an understandable fashion)
Wood, Cheryl (speaker, author and motivator for women business owners)
WordPress (this open source software empowered millions of entrepreneurs to update their own websites; 22 out of every 100 new active domains are now running WordPress)
Yancey, Ken (powerhouse CEO of SCORE.org whose visionary leadership has modernized SCORE and kept it relevant and thriving in the age of the Web)
YoungEntrepreneur.com (online community for the young entrepreneur segment, led by the Toren brothers)
Congratulations to all the Small Business Influencer Champions and Honorable Mentions! For award badges go here.
Celebrate with us at the official Awards Gala on September 13th from 6-9pm at the Auditorium on Broadway in New York City. Influencers, nominees, judges, members of the media and the small business community will join together for an evening of celebration and networking. Click here for more information on the event. Champions and Honorable Mentions: for VIP registration, please email ramon@smallbiztechnology.com.
If you were nominated but didn’t make it into the top 100 for 2011, remember there were many benefits just being involved. First of all, it was an honor to be nominated. Second, participation this year raises your visibility and builds a foundation for next year. You came to the attention of hundreds of thousands of visitors on the Small Business Influencer site. Quite a number of visitors have remarked that they became aware of intriguing nominees they didn’t know before, simply by viewing the nominations. Posts like this one from Kikscore even made recommendations for next year. So, mark your calendar for next May to check back for the 2012 Awards.
Finally, many thanks to our Media Partners (I’ll thank you in a separate post!), and our Judges. Judges were ineligible to enter the Awards, but were given special status as Influencers Emeritus (please note: Judges also refrained from voting for nominees with which they have a financial relationship):
Jim Blasingame, Founder of The Small Business Advocate
Rick Calvert, Co-Founder of BlogWorld Expo
Brent Leary, Partner of CRM Essentials
Joel Libava,The Franchise King
Barry Moltz, Author and speaker
Ivana Taylor, Founder of DIY Marketers
John Warrillow, Author and successful entrepreneur
Edith Yeung, Founder of BizTech Day
And of course, Ramon Ray of SmallBizTechnology.com and myself, Anita Campbell, founder of Small Business Trends also participated as Judges.
Small Business Influencers 2011 Awards: Announcing Final Results
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
New List of Contests and Awards for SMBs
Jul 10th
This list of contests, competitions and awards for small businesses is brought to you every other week as a community service by Small Business Trends and Smallbiztechnology.com.
If you’ve entered and won a contest or award listed here, let me know so we can share your news.
-
* * * * *
HP Smart Color Sweepstakes
Enter by July 13, 2011
HP is giving away an HP Printer each day until July 13th, and one grand prize winner will win $10,000. Answer the question “What would your business do with $10,000?”
See website for entry details.
Flights. Camera. Action. Video Upload Contest
Enter by July 15, 2011
Success is in the air! Upload a short video about how flying benefits your business – and you could win up to 50 tickets for your company and exposure to thousands of potential customers. The first 200 businesses to upload a video online will also receive 300 Business ExtrAA points. See website for entry rules and details. Sponsored by American Airlines and SCORE.
Forbes List of America’s Most Promising Companies
Enter by July 15, 2011
For the second year Forbes is assembling a list of dynamic, privately held businesses with truly scintillating growth prospects—the kind of companies investors love to bet on, customers love to buy from, and talented employees love to work for. All industries and geographies are welcome. The best will earn a spot on Forbes’ ranking of America’s Most Promising Companies. That means serious exposure—to customers, investors and talented job applicants. Enter by completing this survey.
pbSmart Connections Small Business Makeover Contest
Enter by July 19, 2011
Pitney Bowes wants to give your business a communications makeover. This national contest was designed to help small businesses improve customer communications to better position themselves for growth. Five Grand Prize winners will receive a customer communications plan makeover, valued at $10,000. The Grand Prize winners will receive a full-day consultation and planning session with renowned small business experts. Together with a team of Pitney Bowes communication specialists, the experts will assess each Grand Prize winner’s existing communications and provide custom coaching to develop a program that suits their unique needs. They will also receive one year of free access to the pbSmart suite of customer communications tools, including pbSmartPostage, cloud-based postage for shipping and mailing, and pbSmart Connections for email marketing. In addition, 20 First Prize winners will receive one year of free access to the pbSmart suite of products, valued at $2,500, and have their businesses featured as part of the pbSmart Essentials online community.
Make Your Small Business Fly Contest
Enter by July 20, 2011
Join Virgin America’s free corporate rewards program, Elevate, Inc., and enter to win 2 free roundtrip tickets to any Virgin America destination and a Samsonite luggage set.
10th Annual Chicago Innovation Awards
Enter by July 31, 2011
To be eligible for a Chicago Innovation Award, the product, service or company nominated must be:
- Introduced within the past three years, and
- Headquartered in the greater Chicago region, including the northern half of Illinois, southern Wisconsin, and northwest Indiana.
Through many events occurring throughout the year, the Chicago Innovation Awards not only recognize nominees and winners, but also provide valuable business networking and development opportunities; learning experiences through mentoring, scholarships and panel discussions; and educational courses in innovation.
Recycle Your Business Cell Phone Apple iPad2 Giveaway
Enter by July 31, 2011
e-Cycle’s Apple iPad2 Earth Day Giveaway was such a success, we are giving companies another opportunity to win simply by recycling your company cell phones. Businesses and organizations that recycle and/or sell their used mobile devices and cell phones through e-Cycle from now through July 31 will be entered into a random drawing for the chance to win one of four Apple iPad2s.
The Conway Center for Family Business Awards
Enter by August 4, 2011
The Conway Center for Family Business Awards Program was established in 1998 to recognize excellence in family business and has honored more than 115 Central Ohio family businesses.
The program honors recipients in categories consistent with the success and longevity of a family business: leadership, planning, communication, support and community service. For more details, see the website.
Avaya Small Business Innovators Contest
Enter by August 30, 2011
Do you have an idea that will change the way your business serves your customers? Innovation is the engine that makes every business more productive and helps it to grow. To enter Avaya’s Small Business Innovators contest, fill out their ROI tool and send them the results. Include how you would spend the savings over the next five years to innovate new ways to serve your customers, staff and suppliers. Grand prize of $50,000 worth of IP Office equipment and software and $5,000 cash. Five runner up prizes of $10,000 worth of IP Office equipment and software.
Supreme Studio Makeover Contest
Enter by August 31, 2011
MacMall’s second annual Supreme Studio Makeover Contest features $26K in total tech prizes for small businesses and creative studios, including highly sought after products such as: Maya 2012, Adobe CS5.5, HP Designjet large format printers, an HP 24″ DreamColor monitor, Microsoft Office for Mac and Apple Time Capsule storage units.
Cleantech Open Idea Competition
Enter by September 12, 2011
The Cleantech Open runs the world’s largest clean technology business competition, and they’re looking for the best clean technology ideas from around the world.
Enter to win a prize package of services worth $100,000 to help you start a business to grow your idea. If your idea beats out the competition in the National Competition, you get to represent your country as a Global Ideas finalist at the annual Cleantech Open Awards Gala on November 17, 2010 in San Francisco. There, your idea will be presented in a five-minute pitch in front of a crowd of 2,500 investors, entrepreneurs, sponsoring companies, corporations, members of academia, press, and others interested in hearing your ideas and getting involved. The crowd will vote via text message for the “People’s Choice” winner.
Women Who Mean Business 2011
Enter by September 16, 2011
The Washington Business Journal announces the eighth annual Women Who Mean Business awards program. This award is designed to honor the region’s most influential business women. We’re looking for women from every industry and profession; women who’ve made a difference in their communities, blazed a trail for the rest of us and are leaving a mark on the Washington-area community.
Nominees must be female residents of the Washington area who are employed in the region.
A nominee should be an established business leader with a strong record of innovation in her field, outstanding performance in her business and/or a clear track record of meaningful community involvement.
To find more small business events, contests and awards, visit our Small Business Events Calendar.
If you are putting on a small business contest, award or competition, and want to get the word out to the community, please submit it through our Small Business Event and Contests Form (it’s free).
Please note: The descriptions provided here are for convenience only and are NOT the official rules. ALWAYS read official rules carefully at the site holding the competition, contest or award.
New List of Contests and Awards for SMBs
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
More Contests and Awards for Entrepreneurs
Jun 12th
This list of contests, competitions and awards for small businesses is brought to you every other week as a community service by Small Business Trends and Smallbiztechnology.com.
-
* * * * *
Idea Cafe Small Business Grant
Enter by June 12, 2011
Hurry! The deadline is tomorrow. Idea Cafe, The Small Business Gathering Place, is giving entrepreneurs the chance to win a cash grant and gain media exposure for their business. The Idea Cafe’s 11th Grant will award $1,000 in cash and $1,500 in advertising credits to the most inspirational small business owners who are willing to turn their business dreams into reality.
National Association for Moms in Business Grant Competition
Enter starting March 1st; Competition runs May 1 – June 15, 2011
Business grant competition via crowdfunding to give mom entrepreneurs a better chance at launching a new or current business project. All participants win a half-page feature in Moms In Business Magazine, publicity on peerbackers.com and momsinbusinessgrant.com, and a $2,000 publicity toolkit from PRNewswire. When the crowdfunding competition ends, all grant applicants who raised 80 percent or more of their funding goal will become semi-finalists. A team of mom executives and entrepreneurs will judge each application to determine the $10,000 Grand Prize Grant Package winner. Competitors must be a member of NAFMIB.
Entrepreneur of 2011 Awards
Enter by June 15, 2011
If you’re making an impact — on your industry, for your employees and in your community — this is your award to win. Past winners have rocked our world with radical headgear, taken us back to basics with healthy snack ideas, and made innovative contributions to the sustainability movement. Now it’s your turn. Tell Entrepreneur Magazine how you’re making a difference with your business and you could be the Entrepreneur of 2011.
BlackBerry Playbook Giveaway
Enter by June 19, 2011
How would you like to win a BlackBerry Playbook, the exciting new 7-inch ultra-portable tablet? Introduced in mid-April, and just under a half inch thick, this tablet connects to the Internet via WiFi. Small Business Trends and SmallBizTechnology.com have two 16-GB BlackBerry Playbooks (retail value $499) to give away in a random drawing, to two lucky supporters of the Small Business Influencer 2011 awards. Entry requirements and details here.
Verizon’s Hardest Working Small Biz Dad Contest
Enter by June 19, 2011
T
he Hardest Working Small Biz Dad in America will win $5,000 cash, six months of Verizon Websites powered by Intuit or Verizon WebListings, and free monthly maid service for an entire year. Contestants need to be Verizon or Verizon Wireless customers and submit a brief video or a comment on the contest post on the Verizon Small Business blog about how you manage running your own business and a household.
Visa GoBiz Elevator Pitch Contest
Enter by June 20, 2011
Get your elevator pitch ready. If you’re selected as a finalist, you’ll only have 49 stories (as in an elevator ride) to convince Matthew Corrin and our judges to award you $10,000 to help grow your small business. Enter your pitch via online form here. (Canada only)
Quest Fore Sweepstakes
Enter by June 30, 2011
For its 35th anniversary, marketing communications firm Quest Fore is holding a sweepstakes to give away $15,000 in marketing services. The $15,000 in free marketing services can be used for anything from research, strategic planning and advertising by Quest Fore to interactive services provided by Quest Fox Interactive.
The Jimdo Video Contest
Enter by June 30, 2011
It’s much easier to show people how to do things with a video. Has anyone ever helped you out with your JimdoPage? You can give back to the Jimdo community – by making a “how to” Jimdo video of your own. Show off your Jimdo skills to the world, help other users get their sites off the ground, and add to the community in one fell swoop. Prizes including an Apple MacBook Pro, Aipteck camcorder and more and will be awarded to the best videos.
Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneurial Winning Women Competition
Enter by June 30, 2011
Ten winners will be paired with advisers and resources for growing their businesses and they’ll get to participate in a customized executive-leadership program. In addition, winners will receive an all-expenses paid trip to the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum 2011 in Palm Springs, California, in November.
The contest is being run in collaboration with the Women Presidents’ Organization, Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, the Committee of 200, National Association of Women Business Owners and Babson College.
HP Smart Color Sweepstakes
Enter by July 13, 2011
HP is giving away an HP Printer each day until July 13th, and one grand prize winner will win $10,000. Answer the question “What would your business do with $10,000?”
See website for entry details.
Small Business Influencers Awards
Enter by July 8, 2011
Produced by Small Business Trends and Smallbiztechnology.com and brought to you by Blackberry, the Small Business Influencers 2011 honors companies, organizations and people who have made a significant impact on the North American small business market. In phase I, you nominate influencers. In Phases 2 and 3, you and an all-star judging panel will vote for the top 100. It all culminates with honoring the Top 100 Small Business Influencers in mid-August 2011, with an awards event in New York City on September 13, 2011.
pbSmart Connections Small Business Makeover Contest
Enter by July 19, 2011
Pitney Bowes wants to give your business a communications makeover. This national contest was designed to help small businesses improve customer communications to better position themselves for growth. Five Grand Prize winners will receive a customer communications plan makeover, valued at $10,000. The Grand Prize winners will receive a full-day consultation and planning session with renowned small business experts. Together with a team of Pitney Bowes communication specialists, the experts will assess each Grand Prize winner’s existing communications and provide custom coaching to develop a program that suits their unique needs. They will also receive one year of free access to the pbSmart suite of customer communications tools, including pbSmartPostage™, cloud-based postage for shipping and mailing, and pbSmart™ Connections for email marketing. In addition, 20 First Prize winners will receive one year of free access to the pbSmart suite of products, valued at $2,500, and have their businesses featured as part of the pbSmart™ Essentials online community.
10th Annual Chicago Innovation Awards
Enter by July 31, 2011
To be eligible for a Chicago Innovation Award, the product, service or company nominated must be:
- Introduced within the past three years, and
- Headquartered in the greater Chicago region, including the northern half of Illinois, southern Wisconsin, and northwest Indiana.
Through many events occurring throughout the year, the Chicago Innovation Awards not only recognize nominees and winners, but also provide valuable business networking and development opportunities; learning experiences through mentoring, scholarships and panel discussions; and educational courses in innovation.
The Conway Center for Family Business Awards
Enter by August 4, 2011
The Conway Center for Family Business Awards Program was established in 1998 to recognize excellence in family business and has honored more than 115 Central Ohio family businesses.
The program honors recipients in categories consistent with the success and longevity of a family business: leadership, planning, communication, support and community service. For more details, see the website.
Avaya Small Business Innovators Contest
Enter by August 30, 2011
Do you have an idea that will change the way your business serves your customers? Innovation is the engine that makes every business more productive and helps it to grow. To enter Avaya’s Small Business Innovators contest, fill out their ROI tool and send them the results. Include how you would spend the savings over the next five years to innovate new ways to serve your customers, staff and suppliers. Grand prize of $50,000 worth of IP Office equipment and software and $5,000 cash. Five runner up prizes of $10,000 worth of IP Office equipment and software.
Cleantech Open Idea Competition
Enter by September 12, 2011
The Cleantech Open runs the world’s largest clean technology business competition, and they’re looking for the best clean technology ideas from around the world.
Enter to win a prize package of services worth $100,000 to help you start a business to grow your idea. If your idea beats out the competition in the National Competition, you get to represent your country as a Global Ideas finalist at the annual Cleantech Open Awards Gala on November 17, 2010 in San Francisco. There, your idea will be presented in a five-minute pitch in front of a crowd of 2,500 investors, entrepreneurs, sponsoring companies, corporations, members of academia, press, and others interested in hearing your ideas and getting involved. The crowd will vote via text message for the “People’s Choice” winner.
To find more small business events, contests and awards, visit our Small Business Events Calendar.
If you are putting on a small business contest, award or competition, and want to get the word out to the community, please submit it through our Small Business Event and Contests Form (it’s free).
Please note: The descriptions provided here are for convenience only and are NOT the official rules. ALWAYS read official rules carefully at the site holding the competition, contest or award.
More Contests and Awards for Entrepreneurs
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
Fresh List of Small Business Awards and Contests
May 29th
This list of contests, competitions and awards for small businesses is brought to you every other week as a community service by Small Business Trends and Smallbiztechnology.com.
-
* * * * *
Verisign Small Business Contest
Deadline extended to May 31, 2011
Verisign is hosting an international contest for small businesses to compete for a chance to win $25,000 (USD). The contest asks small businesses to address the question, “Where will .com or .net take your business?” Entrants can visit www.DotComForSmallBiz.com or www.DotNetForSmallBiz.net to submit photos and essays addressing the contest theme.
Idea Cafe Small Business Grant
Enter by June 12, 2011
Idea Cafe, The Small Business Gathering Place, is giving entrepreneurs the chance to win a cash grant and gain media exposure for their business. The Idea Cafe’s 11th Grant will award $1,000 in cash and $1,500 in advertising credits to the most inspirational small business owners, who are willing to turn their business dreams into reality.
e-Cycle iPad2 Giveaway Contest
Enter by May 31, 2011
To celebrate, e-Cycle has declared April “National Recycle Your Cell Phone Month” to help raise awareness for the growing e-waste problem with mobile devices, and as a reminder for organizations to implement responsible mobile phone recycling programs. As an incentive, e-Cycle is offering businesses and organizations a chance to win one of four Apple iPad2 tablets when they recycle and/or sell their used wireless devices with the company through May 31.
National Association for Moms in Business Grant Competition
Enter starting March 1st, Competition runs May 1 – June 15, 2011
Business grant competition via crowdfunding to give mom entrepreneurs a better chance at launching a new or current business project. All participants win a half-page feature in Moms In Business Magazine, publicity on peerbackers.com and momsinbusinessgrant.com, and a $2,000 publicity toolkit from PRNewswire. When the crowdfunding competition ends, all grant applicants who raised 80 percent or more of their funding goal will become semi-finalists. A team of mom executives and entrepreneurs will judge each application to determine the $10,000 Grand Prize Grant Package winner. Competitors must be a member of NAFMIB.
Entrepreneur of 2011 Awards
Enter by June 15, 2011
If you’re making an impact–on your industry, for your employees and in your community–this is your award to win. Past winners have rocked our world with radical headgear, taken us back to basics with healthy snack ideas, and made innovative contributions to the sustainability movement. Now it’s your turn. Tell Entrepreneur Magazine how you’re making a difference with your business and you could be the Entrepreneur of 2011.
Visa GoBiz Elevator Pitch Contest
Enter by June 20, 2011 (Canada only)
Get your elevator pitch ready. If you’re selected as a finalist, you’ll only have 49 stories (as in an elevator ride) to convince Matthew Corrin and our judges to award you with $10,000 to help grow your small business. Enter your pitch via online form here.
Quest Fore Sweepstakes
Enter by June 30, 2011
For its 35th anniversary, marketing communications firm Quest Fore is holding a sweepstakes to give away $15,000 in marketing services. The $15,000 in free marketing services can be used for anything from research, strategic planning and advertising by Quest Fore to interactive services provided by Quest Fox Interactive.
The Jimdo Video Contest
Enter by June 30, 2011
It’s much easier to show people how to do things with a video. Has anyone ever helped you out with your JimdoPage? You can give back to the Jimdo community – by making a “how to” Jimdo video of your own. Show off your Jimdo skills to the world, help other users get their sites off the ground, and add to the community in one fell swoop. Prizes including an Apple MacBook Pro, Aipteck camcorder and more and will be awarded to the best videos.
Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneurial Winning Women Competition
Enter by June 30, 2011
Ten winners will be paired with advisers and resources for growing their businesses and they’ll get to participate in a customized executive-leadership program. In addition, winners will receive an all-expenses paid trip to the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum 2011 in Palm Springs, California, in November.
The contest is being run in collaboration with the Women Presidents’ Organization, Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, the Committee of 200, National Association of Women Business Owners and Babson College.
HP Smart Color Sweepstakes
Enter by July 13, 2011
HP is giving away an HP Printer each day until July 13th, and one grand prize winner will win $10,000. Answer the question “What would your business do with $10,000?”
See website for entry details.
Small Business Influencers Awards
Enter by July 8, 2011
Produced by Small Business Trends and Smallbiztechnology.com and brought to you by Blackberry, the Small Business Influencers 2011 honors companies, organizations and people who have made a significant impact on the North American small business market. In phase I, you nominate influencers. In Phases 2 and 3, you and an all-star judging panel will vote for the top 100. It all culminates with honoring the Top 100 Small Business Influencers in mid-August 2011, with an awards event in New York City on September 13, 2011.
pbSmart Connections Small Business Makeover Contest
Enter by July 19, 2011
Pitney Bowes wants to give your business a communications makeover. This national contest was designed to help small businesses improve customer communications to better position themselves for growth. Five Grand Prize winners will receive a customer communications plan makeover, valued at $10,000. The Grand Prize winners will receive a full-day consultation and planning session with renowned small business experts. Together with a team of Pitney Bowes communication specialists, the experts will assess each Grand Prize winner’s existing communications and provide custom coaching to develop a program that suits their unique needs. They will also receive one year of free access to the pbSmart suite of customer communications tools, including pbSmartPostage™, cloud-based postage for shipping and mailing, and pbSmart™ Connections for email marketing. In addition, 20 First Prize winners will receive one year of free access to the pbSmart suite of products, valued at $2,500, and have their businesses featured as part of the pbSmart™ Essentials online community.
10th Annual Chicago Innovation Awards
Enter by July 31, 2011
To be eligible for a Chicago Innovation Award, the product, service, or company nominated must be:
- Introduced within the past three years, and
- Headquartered in the greater Chicago region, including the northern half of Illinois, southern Wisconsin, and northwest Indiana.
Through many events occurring throughout the year, the Chicago Innovation Awards not only recognize nominees and winners, but also provide valuable business networking and development opportunities, learning experiences through mentoring, scholarships, panel discussions, and education courses in innovation.
The Conway Center for Family Business Awards
Enter by August 4, 2011
The Conway Center for Family Business Awards Program was established in 1998 to recognize excellence in family business and has honored more than 115 Central Ohio family businesses.
The program honors recipients in categories consistent with the success and longevity of a family business: leadership, planning, communication, support and community service. For more details, see the website.
Avaya Small Business Innovators Contest
Enter by August 30, 2011
Do you have an idea that will change the way your business serves your customers? Innovation is the engine that makes every business more productive and helps it to grow. To enter Avaya’s Small Business Innovators contest, fill out their ROI tool and send them the results. Include how you would spend the savings over the next five years to innovate new ways to serve your customers, staff and suppliers. Grand prize of $50,000 worth of IP Office equipment and software and $5,000 cash. Five runner up prizes of $10,000 worth of IP Office equipment and software.
Cleantech Open Idea Competition
Enter by September 12, 2011
The Cleantech Open runs the world’s largest clean technology business competition and they’re looking for the best clean technology ideas from around the world.
Enter to win a prize package of services worth $100,000 to help you start a business to grow your idea. If your idea beats out the competition in the National Competition, you get to represent your country as a Global Ideas finalist at the annual Cleantech Open Awards Gala on November 17, 2010 in San Francisco. There, your idea will be presented in a five-minute pitch in front of a crowd of 2,500 investors, entrepreneurs, sponsoring companies, corporations, members of academia, press, and others interested in hearing your ideas and getting involved. The crowd will vote via text message for the “People’s Choice” winner.
To find more small business events, contests and awards, visit our Small Business Events Calendar. In addition, we also have a giveaways page; click to learn more about our small business giveaways section.
If you are putting on a small business contest, award or competition, and want to get the word out to the community, please submit it through our Small Business Event and Contests Form (it’s free).
Please note: The descriptions provided here are for convenience only and are NOT the official rules. ALWAYS read official rules carefully at the site holding the competition, contest or award.
Fresh List of Small Business Awards and Contests
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
Contests and Awards for Growing Companies
Apr 3rd
This list of contests, competitions and awards for small businesses is brought to you every other week as a community service by Small Business Trends and Smallbiztechnology.com.
-
* * * * *
Rhode Island Business Plan Competition 2011
Enter by April 4, 2011
The Rhode Island Business Plan Competition, open to everyone, seeks to promote entrepreneurship and development of startup and early stage companies. Winners and finalists in the 2010 Competition shared more than $195,000 in prizes.
Make Mine a Million $ Business
Register by April 4, 2011
M3 1000 Denver gives women entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their businesses for a chance to win a $1,000 American Express Gift Card and an unrivaled suite of business growth tools – national PR, professional coaching, expert financial analysis, access to financing, peer exchange and events, and a curriculum of live and online educational resources – all within a robust, supportive and inspiring community.
Dream Big Grow Here Cedar Valley
Enter by April 13, 2011
The MyEntre.Net “Dream Big Grow Here Cedar Valley” grant contest will award $5,000 to an existing small business that is looking to grow. The contest is open to entrepreneurs 18 and over who are legal residents of Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Chickasaw, Grundy and Tama counties and who have between two and 99 full-time employees. Participants can enter their plans online at www.dreambiggrowherecedarvalley.com. Participants can be individuals or for-profit organizations.
Small Business Advocate of the Year Award
Enter by April 15, 2011
Each year, the CalChamber recognizes several small business owners who have done an exceptional job with their local, state and national advocacy efforts on behalf of small businesses.
The CalChamber will recognize the award winners at its Business Summit on June 1 in Sacramento. The nomination form is available on the CalChamber website or may be requested from the Local Chamber Department at (916) 444-6670.
AMD Visionary of the Year Awards
Enter by April 30, 2011
AMD has announced its first ever VISIONary of the Year Awards, honoring innovation in the three passion categories of Foodie, Photography and Entrepreneurship.
Eligible voters can vote and enter to win one-of-a-kind category prizes, including the ultimate culinary trip to New York City (Foodie category), a $4,000 technology shopping spree (Entrepreneurship category), a $4,000 camera (Photographer category), as well as AMD’s $10,000 grand prize.
2011 Small Business Awards
Enter by May 20, 2011
In its 6th year, The New York Enterprise Report Small Business Awards honors the achievements and accomplishments of the 500,000+ small businesses throughout the tri-state area. In addition to the Best of the Year Categories, the New York Enterprise Report Small Business Awards will honor nine small businesses for their accomplishments and best practices.
The Conway Center for Family Business Awards
Enter by August 4, 2011
The Conway Center for Family Business Awards Program was established in 1998 to recognize excellence in family business and has honored more than 115 Central Ohio family businesses during its first 11 years.
The program honors recipients in categories consistent with the success and longevity of a family business: leadership, planning, communication, support and community service. For more details, see the website.
To find more small business events, contests and awards, visit our Small Business Events Calendar. In addition, we also have a giveaways page; click to learn more about our small business giveaways section.
If you are putting on a small business contest, award or competition, and want to get the word out to the community, please submit it through our Small Business Event and Contests Form. (We do not charge a fee to be included in this listing. )
Please note: The descriptions provided here are for convenience only and are NOT the official rules. ALWAYS read official rules carefully at the site holding the competition, contest or award.
Contests and Awards for Growing Companies
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
New List of Awards and Contests for SMBs
Mar 5th
This list of contests, competitions and awards for small businesses is brought to you every other week as a community service by Small Business Trends and Smallbiztechnology.com.
-
* * * * *
Amazing Entrepreneur Business Plan Competition
Enter by March 10, 2011
The Amazing Entrepreneur Business Plan Competition sponsored by CEO Business Centers in partnership with the Gwinnett Chamber Economic Development and the Small Business Development Center is open to individuals who currently own and manage a new small business in Gwinnett County. The grand prize includes one free year in an office at a CEO Business Center site, a one-year Gwinnett Chamber membership, participation in the Chamber’s small business program, and thousands of dollars in in-kind professional services and accounting software. Finalists will receive certificates for services at CEO Business Centers.
Uprinting’s Small Business Sweepstakes
Enter by March 13, 2011
“Like” Uprinting on Facebook for a chance to win a 16GB Apple iPad with WiFi to help you manage your business on the go and $1,000 worth of printing to market and promote your business.
Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards
Enter by March 15, 2011
The Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards is an international business plan competition that every year recognizes five female entrepreneurs, one for each region: Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America. Each Laureate receives coaching support for a full year, in addition to $20,000 in funding and an exclusive trophy designed by Cartier.
The business project to be considered for The Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards is as follows:
- An original for-profit business creation
- In the startup phase (at least one year old, no older than three)
- The main leadership position must be filled by a woman
BLOB – Best Locally Owned Business Awards
Enter by March 18, 2011
The 2011 BLOB Awards are hosted by Fresno Regional Independent Business Alliance (FRIBA), a group of local business owners who have joined together to educate the community about why it is important to support locally owned and independent businesses. See website for details and voting categories.
Miami Herlad Business Plan Challenge
Enter by March 25, 2011
Have you hatched a great idea for a business? If your business is less than 2 years old or exists only on paper, you can enter the 13th Annual Miami Herald Business Plan Challenge, co-sponsored by Florida International University’s Pino Global Entrepreneurship Center.
The competition has three tracks: A Community Track open to anyone in South Florida; an FIU Track open to students and alumni of the university; and a High School Track for grades 9-12.
Panels of judges will select the three best business plans in each track based on both the quality of the idea and the submitted plan. Readers will be able to vote online at MiamiHerald.com for a “People’s Pick” winner in the community and FIU tracks.
Small Business Excellence Awards
Enter by March 25, 2011
Each year the Chamber recognizes the accomplishments and innovation found in the small business segment of our business community at its Small Business Excellence Awards. This year’s awards will be presented on Tuesday, May 24, 2011, at the Millennium Hotel in downtown Cincinnati. Companies can apply for consideration in two of the following categories:
• Emerging Business of the Year – must be in business five years or less
• Minority Business of the Year – must be a certified MBE
• Nonprofit of the Year – must submit a 501(c) form
• 10 Under 10 – 10 businesses with fewer than 10 employees
• Small Business of the Year – 1 to 50 employees
• Small Business of the Year – 51 to 250 employees
• Community Involvement Award
Where Will .com or .net Take Your Business?
Enter by March 28, 2011
Verisign is hosting an international contest for small businesses to compete for a chance to win $25,000 (USD). The contest asks small businesses to address the question, “Where will .com or .net take your business?” Entrants can visit www.DotComForSmallBiz.com or www.DotNetForSmallBiz.net to submit photos and essays addressing the contest theme.
Brother Share Your Bigger Picture Contest
Enter by March 29, 2011
The “Share Your Bigger Picture” contest offers individuals an opportunity to win a $10,000 business grant or one of five weekly prize packs including a $500 Apple® gift card and a Brother MFC-J6710DW inkjet all-in-one printer with 11″ x 17″ capabilities. Participants can enter two ways: commenting on the contest blog or retweeting messages on Twitter. For more details visit the contest website.
Ninth Annual American Business Awards
Enter by March 31, 2011
The American Business Awards are the only all-encompassing awards program that honors outstanding performances in the American workplace. All organizations operating in the U.S. are eligible to submit nominations – public and private, for-profit and nonprofit, large and small. The 2011 awards will honor work since the beginning of 2010, and the awards will be announced on June 20 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.
Nominations are accepted in various categories including management awards, public relations awards, marketing awards, new product awards, HR awards, IT awards, website awards and more. New categories in 2011 include Executive of the Year – Health Products & Services and Best New Product or Service of the Year – Health Products & Services, as well as more than 40 new Marketing Campaign of the Year categories.
R U Gen Z (Generation Zuckerberg) Video Contest
Enter by April 1, 2011
Internet entrepreneur Marc Ostrofsky has launched the R U Gen Z (Generation Zuckerberg) video contest offering over $10,000 in prizes. The R U Gen Z video contest encourages students and struggling job seekers who have the drive and desire to be their own boss to embrace their Zuckerberg-like passion for entrepreneurship. In these videos, students are invited to express frustrations with today’s economy and tout the benefits of being one’s own boss.
Videos can be submitted online immediately at the contest website and will be judged by a group of panelists made up of students from the University of Houston’s Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship. The first-place winner will receive $5,000; $2,500 will go to the second-place winner, and numerous other $1,000 prizes will be distributed.
Rhode Island Business Plan Competition 2011
Enter by April 4, 2011
The Rhode Island Business Plan Competition, open to everyone, seeks to promote entrepreneurship and development of startup and early stage companies. Winners and finalists in the 2010 Competition shared more than $195,000 in prizes.
Small Business Advocate of the Year Award
Enter by April 15, 2011
Each year, the CalChamber recognizes several small business owners who have done an exceptional job with their local, state and national advocacy efforts on behalf of small businesses.
The CalChamber will recognize the award winners at its Business Summit on June 1 in Sacramento. The nomination form is available on the CalChamber website or may be requested from the Local Chamber Department at .
AMD Visionary of the Year Awards
Enter by April 30, 2011
AMD has announced its first ever VISIONary of the Year Awards, honoring innovation in the three passion categories of Foodie, Photography and Entrepreneurship.
Eligible voters can vote and enter to win one-of-a-kind category prizes, including the ultimate culinary trip to New York City (Foodie category), a $4,000 technology shopping spree (Entrepreneur category), a $4,000 camera (Photographer category), as well as AMD’s $10,000 grand prize.
2011 Small Business Awards
Enter by May 20, 2011
In its 6th year, The New York Enterprise Report Small Business Awards honors the achievements and accomplishments of the 500,000+ small businesses throughout the tri-state area. In addition to the Best of the Year Categories, the New York Enterprise Report Small Business Awards will honor 9 small businesses for their accomplishments and best practices.
The Conway Center for Family Business Awards
Enter by August 4, 2011
The Conway Center for Family Business Awards Program was established in 1998 to recognize excellence in family business and has honored more than 115 Central Ohio family businesses during its first 11 years.
Since the 2009 awards, the program honors recipients in categories consistent with the success and longevity of a family business: leadership, planning, communication, support and community service. For more details see the website.
To find more small business events, contests and awards, visit our Small Business Events Calendar. In addition, we also have a giveaways page; click to learn more about our small business giveaways section.
If you are putting on a small business contest, award or competition, and want to get the word out to the community, please submit it through our Small Business Event and Contests Form. (We do not charge a fee to be included in this listing. )
Please note: The descriptions provided here are for convenience only and are NOT the official rules. ALWAYS read official rules carefully at the site holding the competition, contest or award.
New List of Awards and Contests for SMBs
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
