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Small business award nominees sought
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Award Nomination Deadlines

• Small Business Person of the Year, Nov. 12

• Small Business Exporter of the Year, Nov. 12

• SBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Nov. 12

• Jeffrey Butland Family-Owned Business of the Year, Nov. 12

• Entrepreneurial Success Award, Nov. 12

• Phoenix Award for Small Business Disaster Recovery, Jan. 21, 2011

• Award for Outstanding Contributions to Disaster Recovery, Jan. 21, 2011

• Financial Services Champion of the Year, Nov. 12

• Home-Based Business Champion of the Year, Nov. 12

• Minority Small Business Champion of the Year, Nov. 12

• Veteran Small Business Champion of the Year, Nov. 12

• Women in Business Champion of the Year, Nov. 12

• Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year, Dec. 10

• Small Business Subcontractor of the Year, Dec. 10

• Frances Perkins Vanguard Awards, for use of women-owned businesses in

government contracting, Dec. 10

• Dwight D. Eisenhower Awards for Excellence, for large prime contractors who

use small businesses as suppliers and contractors, Dec. 10

• Gold Star Awards, for federal government contracting, Dec. 10

• Small Business Development Center, SBDC Excellence and

Innovation Center Award, Nov. 12

• Women‘s Business Center of Excellence Award, Nov. 12

• 7(a) Lender of the Year, large, Nov. 12

• 7 (a) Lender of the Year, small, Nov. 12

• 504 Certified Development Company Award, large, Nov. 12

• 504 Certified Development Company Award, small lender, Nov. 12

• Community/Rural Lender of the Year Award, Nov. 24

 

National Small Business Week isn’t until May 15-22, but most nominations for the Small Business Administration’s Small Business Week Awards are due by Nov. 12.

The annual awards, given to recognize the small business community’s contribution to the American economy and society, are distributed to individuals at local and state events in the run up to small business week. Many winners are invited to Washington, D.C. for the National Small Business Week celebration.

The SBA hands out awards in 24 categories, ranging from Small Business Person of the Year to Family-Owned Business of the Year and the Entrepreneurial Success Award. More specialized categories recognize successes in disaster recovery, women-owned businesses in government contracting, and exporting, among other fields.

The Fresno SBA Office, which services Central California counties including Stanislaus, will be tasked with determining the local winners of the awards, who will then progress on to the state level and possibly regional and national contention.

But in order to choose winners, the Fresno SBA Office must first receive nominations. Traditionally, trade associations, chambers of commerce, and business organizations sponsor candidates, but business owners are also entitled to nominate themselves and other candidates.

The nomination criteria and deadlines vary for the differing awards, but full information is available online at www.sba.gov/ca/fresno or by contacting Melende Ward of the Fresno SBA Office at (559) 487-5791 ext. 143.

To contact Alex Cantatore, e-mail acantatore@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2005.