Honor an outstanding small business in your area Lubbock – The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Lubbock West Texas District Office is seeking amazing entrepreneurs and champions of small business to honor during the 2015 National Small Business Week Awards event in May. Nominations are being accepted through Jan. 5, 2015 at 3 pm eastern time. “More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business and many of them have amazing stories to tell. They help fuel our economy, drive innovation and increase America’s footprint in the global arena.” said Yolanda Garcia Olivarez, SBA South Central Region Administrator. The region covers Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas with more than 3.3 million small businesses. “Now is the time to help us single out the top entrepreneurs in your area. These are the ones who think big, take risks and work hard to achieve the American dream, strengthen the middle class and create good paying jobs. We want to spotlight their success.” The Texas Small Business Person of the Year will be selected based on number of years in business, growth in employees, increase in sales, innovativeness of product or service, response to adversity and contributions to the community. The Texas award winner will go on to compete for 2015 National Small Business Person of the Year award. SBA West Texas District Director, Calvin Davis states: “Our 71 county, 67,667 square mile district which expands from the top of the Texas Panhandle through Amarillo, Lubbock, and on to the Permian Basin and over south to Abilene is the home of nearly 120,000 small businesses. This vast area is replete with outstanding, talented, hard-working, humble, but too often overlooked small businesses. So many of our small businesses are deserving of recognition but are seldom nominated for regional or national awards and honors. Since nominations must come from third parties, this office is actively soliciting your nominations for your favorite but yet outstanding local small business in the various categories listed below. It is our desire to witness a West Texas small business walk away with one of the nation’s top awards during National Small Business Week in May 2015. But remember, we need your nominations by January 5, 2015 to make this a reality. Your support will be greatly appreciated and your local small business will undoubtedly love you.” Any individual or organization dedicated to the support of the small business community in the United States may submit nominations for the following awards: 1. National Small Business Person of the Year 2. National Small Business Exporter of the Year 3. National 8(a) Graduate of the Year 4. National Phoenix (Disaster Recovery) Awards 5. SBA Resource Partner Awards a. Small Business Development Center Excellence and Innovation Award b. Veterans Business Outreach Center Excellence in Service Award c. Women’s Business Center of Excellence Award 6. Small Business Investment Company of the Year 7. SBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year 8. Family-Owned Business of the Year 9. Entrepreneurial Success Award 10. Financial Services Champion of the Year 11. Home-Based Business Champion of the Year 12. Minority Small Business Champion of the Year 13. Veteran Small Business Champion of the Year 14. Women in Business Champion of the Year Nominees for these awards should fit the following categories: Small Business Person of the Year : Any individual who owns and operates or who bears principal responsibility for operating a small business may be nominated. Partners who jointly own and operate a small business may be nominated as a “team.” The number of individuals in the team cannot exceed four. National Small Business Exporter of the Year: An individual who owns and operates a small business engaged in exporting. National 8(a) Graduate of the Year: This award recognizes a formerly certified 8(a) Business Development Program participant that graduated from the program for at least one year as of April 1, 2014. The firm does not have to currently be a small business. National Phoenix (Disaster Recovery) Awards: These awards are given to those individuals (business owners, public officials and volunteers) whose efforts and contributions have enabled their business or communities to recover successfully from a disaster. National Resource Partners Awards: Awards honor Small Business Development Centers, Veteran Business Outreach Centers and Women’s Business Centers. National Small Business Investment Company of the Year. SBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year: To be considered a young entrepreneur, the individual must serve as a majority owner and operate or bear principal responsibility for operating a small business with a three year track record, and who will not have reached the age of 30 by June 1, 2015. Family-Owned Business of the Year: This award honors a family-owned and operated business which has been passed on from one generation to the next. The owner must also serve as a majority owner and operator or bear principal responsibility with at least a 15-year track record. Entrepreneurial Success Award: Individuals must own and operate businesses initially launched as small according to SBA size standards and subsequently developed into large businesses; and they must have received SBA assistance to help the businesses grow. The following Champion award nominees may or not be small business owners: Financial Services Champion of the Year: An individual who assists small businesses through advocacy efforts to increase the usefulness and availability of accounting or financial services. Home-Based Business Champion of the Year: An individual who has experienced the rewards and difficulties of owning a home-based business and has volunteered to improve the climate for these businesses may be nominated. Minority Small Business Champion of the Year: An individual who has fulfilled a commitment to the advancement of small business opportunities for minority business owners. Veteran Small Business Champion of the Year: An individual who has fulfilled a commitment to the advancement of small business opportunities for veterans of the U.S. armed forces may be nominated. Nominees may or may not be veterans. Women in Business Champion of the Year: An individual who has fulfilled a commitment to the advancement of women’s business ownership may be nominated. All nominations must be submitted online, postmarked or hand delivered to the SBA no later than 3 p.m. EST, Monday, Jan. 5, 2015. Nominations may be made via the portal at http//awards.sba.gov or sent directly to SBA’s Lubbock West Texas District Office at 1205 Texas Avenue, Room 408, Lubbock, Texas 806-472-7462 or visit online at sba.gov/lubbock. For more information, contact Kim Hobgood at 806-472-7462 extension 108, or email [email protected].
Posted on: Tue, 21 Oct 2014 17:28:46 +0000
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