Houston District Seeks Small Business Award Nominations

National Small Business Week 2013

The U.S. Small Business Administration Houston District Office is now accepting nominations for SBA’s 2013 National Small Business Week awards. Each year during Small Business Week, small businesses are recognized for their contributions to the prosperity of our Nation’s economy. Nominations are due January 3, 2013.

The Small Business Week Nomination Guidelines can be found on the Houston District webpage at www.sba.gov/tx/houston. District nomination packages must be submitted to the SBA Houston District Office, Attn: Russell Hughes, 8701 S. Gessner, Suite 1200, Houston, TX 77074.

Nominations will be accepted in the following categories:

Small Business Person of the Year
Small Business Exporter of the Year
SBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year
Jeffrey Butland Family-Owned Business of the Year
Financial Services Champion of the Year
Home-Based Champion of the Year
Minority Small Business Champion of the Year
Veteran Small Business Champion of the Year
Women In Business Champion of the Year

Nominees for these awards should fit the following criteria:

Small Business Person of the Year: The Houston District Small Business Person of the Year will be selected based on staying power as evidenced by a minimum three years in business, growth in number of employees, increase in sales, innovativeness of product or service, response to adversity and contributions to community-oriented projects. The winner will will advance for further competition at the regional level and the regional winner will advance to compete for the National Small Business Person of the Year award.

Small Business Exporter of the Year: An individual who owns and operates a small business engaged in exporting.

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, 2013.

Jeffrey Butland 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.

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.

For more information contact Russell Hughes at 713-773-6527 or Russell.Hughes@sba.gov.

SBA Introduces New Online Portal for 2012 National Small Business Week Awards Nominations

SBA Introduces New Online Portal for 2012 National Small Business Week Awards Nominations

WASHINGTON – A new online portal has been launched by the U.S. Small Business Administration to accept nominations for its 2013 National Small Business Week Awards, including the annual Small Business Person of the Year award.

The dedicated web portal, accessible at http://nationalsmallbusinessweek.sba.gov/, will make it easier to submit and track submissions of nominees for Small Business Week 2013, and is now actively accepting nominations of noteworthy small businesses.

“The National Small Business Week Awards program is a great way for us to recognize the best of the best in small business ownership,” said SBA South Florida District Director Francisco “Pancho” Marrero. “I encourage all South Florida small business owners to consider submitting a nomination for these national awards as well as our own South Florida District Small Business Awards.”

Since 1963, National Small Business Week has recognized the outstanding achievements of America’s small businesses for their contributions to their local communities, and to our nation’s economy. In 2013, the 50th year celebration will honor the nation’s 27 million small businesses.

SBA Awards given in celebration of National Small Business Week include the following awards:

· National Small Business Person of the Year (chosen from among state award winners from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam)

· Phoenix Awards (recognizing outstanding accomplishments during disaster recovery)

· Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year

· Small Business Subcontractor of the Year

· The Dwight D. Eisenhower Award for Excellence (recognizes large prime contractors who have used small businesses as suppliers and contractors)

· SBA 8(a) Graduate of the Year (for recent graduates of the SBA’s 8(a) contracting program)

· Small Business Development Center (SBDC)Excellence and Innovation Award (nominations of SBA-funded SBDC Service Centers)

· Women’s Business Center (WBCs) of Excellence Award (nominations of SBA-funded WBCs)

· Veterans Business Outreach Center Excellence in Service Award (nominations of SBA-funded Veterans Business Outreach Centers)

In addition to the portal, nominations can also be sent directly to SBA District Offices, which can be located online at http://www.sba.gov/about-offices-list/2. All nominations must be submitted or postmarked to the SBA by January 3, 2013.

Winners of the Small Business Person of the Year awards and winners in the other award categories will be invited to Washington, D.C., to compete for national titles and to attend National Small Business Week events in 2013.