SBA seeks nominations for 2014 small-business awards

THE NOMINATION DEADLINE for the 2014 U.S. Small Business Administration awards is Nov. 22. The 2014 Rhode Island Small Business Person of the Year, the most prestigious of the SBA awards, will have the opportunity to participate in National Small Business Week activities and will compete for the National Small Business Person of the Year Award.
THE NOMINATION DEADLINE for the 2014 U.S. Small Business Administration awards is Nov. 22. The 2014 Rhode Island Small Business Person of the Year, the most prestigious of the SBA awards, will have the opportunity to participate in National Small Business Week activities and will compete for the National Small Business Person of the Year Award.

PROVIDENCE – The U.S. Small Business Administration is now accepting nominations for the 2014 Rhode Island Small Business Person of the Year and other small-business awards.

Any individual or organization dedicated to the support of the small business community may submit nominations. The nomination deadline is Friday, Nov. 22, and winners will be honored during the Rhode Island Small Business Week celebration in the spring.

The Business Person of the Year, the most prestigious of the SBA awards, will be presented to an entrepreneur who has developed an outstanding, growing business.

Any individual who owns and operates or bears principal responsibility for operating a small business (as defined by SBA standards) may be nominated for the Business Person of the Year award. Partners who jointly own and operate a small business may be nominated as a “team,” but the number of individuals in a team nomination may not exceed four.

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The Rhode Island state winner will have the opportunity to participate in National Small Business Week activities and will compete for the National Small Business Person of the Year Award.

The other SBA awards include:

  • Jeffrey Butland Family-Owned Small Business: Awarded to a family-owned-and-operated business with at least a 15-year track record that has been passed on from one generation to the next.

  • SBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year: Awarded to a young entrepreneur who serves as a majority owner and operates a small business with a three-year track record, and who will not have reached the age of 35 by June 1, 2014.

  • Entrepreneurial Success: Awarded to an individual or team that owns or operates a business initially defined as “small” under SBA size standards, and that developed into a large business with assistance from the SBA.

  • Microenterprise of the Year: Awarded to an individual who founded or owns and operates a microenterprise (a small business with five or fewer employees) that has received SBA assistance through SBA loan programs or as a client of SBA technical service providers.

  • Small Business Exporter of the Year: Awarded to an individual who owns and operates a small business engaged in exporting.

  • Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year: Awarded to a U.S. Armed Forces veteran who serves as majority owner for a small business with at least a three-year track record.

  • Minority-Owned Small Business of the Year: Awarded to any individual belonging to an ethnic minority who serves as majority owner for a small business with at least a three-year track record.

  • Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year: Awarded to any woman who serves as majority owner for a small business with at least a three-year track record.

  • Home-Based Small Business of the Year: Awarded to an individual or team that owns and operates a business based out of their home.

  • Financial Services Champion of the Year: Awarded to an individual who assists small businesses through advocacy efforts to improve accounting or financial services for small businesses.

For complete award guidelines and nomination forms, contact the SBA Rhode Island District Office by calling 401-528-4561 or by emailing Matthew Spoehr at matthew.spoehr@sba.gov.

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