The U.S. Small Business Administration is looking for nominations for the 2013 West Virginia Small Business Person of the Year and Small Business Champion awards. All award recipients will be recognized during the annual West Virginia Small Business Week Awards Celebration with West Virginia’s Small Business Person of the Year in the running for the National award presented in May of 2013. Nominations and supporting documentation must be received in the West Virginia District Office by close of business on Friday, Dec. 7, 2012.
Any individual or organization can submit nominations for the award categories. Small Business Champion awards are selected from individuals or organizations that promote small business, volunteer time and services to small business interest groups, advocate the cause of small business through legislation, or use their professional expertise to assist small business owners. Champions may or may not be small business owners.
Small Business Person of the Year nominees will be judged on a variety of criteria including staying power, growth in employment and sales, innovation of product or service and evidence of contributions to the community.
Champion award categories include: Financial Services, Home-Based Business, Minority, Veteran and Women. Special awards include: Family-Owned Small Business, Entrepreneurial Success, Small Business Exporter, and Young Entrepreneur.
All nominations must be received by the SBA West Virginia District Office by Friday, Dec. 7, 2012.
Guidelines and nomination forms can be found on the SBA’s West Virginia District Office web page at www.sba.gov/wv or by contacting Rick Haney at (304) 623-7449 or by email at richard.haney@sba.gov.
