Small Business Week 2009 - Nominations Due 11/14/08

Overview
In recognition of the small business community's contribution to the American economy and society, the President of the United States designates one week each year as National Small Business Week. Small Business Week 2009 will be celebrated nationally the week of May 19 as well as locally in Albany on May 4 and in Syracuse on May 8. The SBA Syracuse District Office will present awards to small business owners and champions in ten different categories at the Albany and Syracuse luncheons. All SBA Syracuse District Office Small Business Week award winners are sent to the SBA Region II Office for further consideration. Since 1998, six SBA New York State Small Business Person of the Year award winners have come from the Syracuse District Office. A winning nomination highlights the achievements of a deserving small business owner or champion in a meaningful way and validates the importance of small business to our community.

Awards
The award categories for small businesses are: Small Business Person, Small Business Exporter, Young Entrepreneur, and Family-Owned Business. The award categories for small business champions are: Financial Services, Small Business Journalist, Home-Based Business, Minority Small Business, Veteran Small Business, and Women in Business. Small business champions are individuals or organizations that are dedicated to supporting small businesses.

Nomination Packages
Small Business Week award nominations packages can come from lenders, chambers of commerce, SCORE chapters, SBDCs, WBCs, economic developers, and other small business service agencies. Please visit the national Small Business Week 2009 website       to review the nomination guidelines and download all of the forms necessary to complete nomination packages.

Nominations for Small Business Champions do not require any financial statements unless the nominee is a business owner.

Complete nomination packages for all awards must be received by November 14, 2008.

Mail to:
Cathy Pokines
Director of Marketing & Communications
SBA Syracuse District Office
401 South Salina Street, 5th Floor
Syracuse, New York 13202

Please contact Cathy Pokines with any questions regarding Small Business Week 2009 at 315-471-9393 ext. 241 or cathy.pokines@sba.gov.

Tips for Nominators
1. Start your nomination package right away. Decide on a nominee that you are proud to be associated with and start to gather information as soon as possible. It is important to provide the judges with as much supporting documentation as possible (letters of recommendation, media articles, etc.) to demonstrate why your nominee deserves the award.

2. Be sure to read and follow the nomination guidelines exactly. Incomplete nomination packages cannot be considered, so ensure that every item required in the nomination guidelines is included in your nomination package. Consistent organization of the nomination package is important and helps the judges easily compare nominations. Address all the criteria for the award, making sure to explain how your nominee meets the criteria in the "concise statement of the qualities and performance that merit the award."

3. Put together a strong financial package. While not all nomination packages need financial information, several award nominations do require you to submit three years of financial statements for the nominee. Since statements alone don't always represent the complete financial picture of the business, provide additional data if possible and explain what the data means.

4. Make the nomination package look professional. Assemble all required documents in a three-ring binder with clearly labeled sections and remember to include a high-quality black and white photograph of the nominee. Neatness and organization are not rated elements, but the nomination package appearance does create an impression for the judges.