Get Out There And Apply For an Award for Your Small Business! |  |
| Get Out There And Apply For an Award for Your Small Business! Posted: 07 Apr 2012 10:00 AM PDT Awards and honors make your employees proud, help keep YOU motivated, and set your business apart from competitors in customers’ eyes. But know this: much as you’d like to be honored without seeking it out, in the real world it doesn’t work that way. You have to get busy and apply for awards and enter competitions and contests. Check out the awards and competitions below, brought to you by Small Business Trends and Smallbiztechnology.com. Also, if you’ve entered and won a contest or award listed here, let us know so we can share your news. -
To showcase the impact a new office design can have on creativity and productivity, Turnstone is holding a national contest that will give five small and emerging businesses – companies with less than 100 employees – a chance to win a $25,000 office makeover. To enter, companies must create a video demonstrating why a sweet Turnstone office makeover will make a difference in their work and workplace. A panel of expert judges will select the top 25 videos, and then the public will vote on which five companies get the prize. Interested business owners have until April 15, 2012 to submit their online applications at http://www.myturnstone.com/contest. Public voting will open at the end of April, and winners will be announced in May.
Everybody knows one. Like a super hero, she balances running a family with the heroics of running her own business. We're talking about moms in business, of course. And now, StartupNation is conducting its third annual ranking of these astonishing entrepreneurs and the businesses they run. Over the next few months, it'll be your daily votes that determine the top 200 Leading Moms in Business. In addition the judges will determine special awards and accolades for moms within the top 200 who deserve special recognition.
IWEC is an initiative for women-owned businesses that is run by individual chambers in various countries. Awardees are chosen by the chambers and, along with chamber executives, they are invited to participate in the annual conference to receive their award and to network and share best practices. Conferences to date have been held in Barcelona, NYC, New Delhi India and Cape Town South Africa. In 2012, the Conference will be held in Barcelona from Oct. 28-31st.Three awardees will be chosen by the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce NY IWEC Committee to represent the NYC/U.S. area in the 2012 IWEC Conference. See website for details and application.
There are nearly 7 million private, employee-based firms in America. Only the very best are awarded the distinction of being named to the Inc.500 | 5000, the gold standard of entrepreneurial success. You’ll be listed with other leading companies at Inc.com, and your company may be featured in the September 2012 issue. If you are proud of your company’s growth over the past three years, you owe it to yourself — and to your employees — to apply for the Inc.500 | 5000.
The contest is open to small businesses headquartered in Eastern Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island or Vermont. The winning business will receive exposure of their business, improved business practices and professional advice. The contest is free to enter and will provide a learning experience for business owner(s) and employees. BBB will provide up to $5,000 in support and material funds. See website for rules and entry details.
The fifth annual Ernst & Young Entrepreneurial Winning Women Program is a national competition and executive leadership program that identifies a select group of high-potential women entrepreneurs whose businesses show real potential to scale — and then helps them do it.Applications will be reviewed by a panel of independent judges representing successful entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders. The judges will select 10 Entrepreneurial Winning Women by September 7, 2012. See website for criteria and how to apply.
Are you an existing or aspiring retailer or entrepreneur? The winner of Race for the Space will win free rent for one year in a prime retail or office space, a one year advertising package in the Ithaca Times, design services for storefront layout and signage and more. The package is worth over $40,000. See website for details and entry rules.
Small contractors across the country now have an opportunity to take part in the Victory in Procurement (VIP) mentorship program from American Express OPEN. Participants will be educated on a host of topics, including the GSA schedule, business certifications, teaming arrangements and the importance of networking. The mentorship program consists of 12 hours of one-on-one virtual communications with a government contracting experts Lourdes Martin-Rosa, American Express OPEN Advisor on Government Contracting, and/or Dona Storey, American Express OPEN Advisor on Procurement. To apply, interested business owners will need to fill out the VIP Mentorship Application, and email to VIPMentorship@mbooth.com.
Informational Teleconference April 5, 2012: (712) 451-6175, PIN-1095742# WEDC is once again offering the Lanza Enterprise Awards Program (LEAP) to help women entrepreneurs boost their businesses to the next level. Five $5,000 equity awards will be presented to WEDC 15-Week Program graduates or participants who have completed comprehensive business plans and who meet the award criteria. This program is a collaboration among the Lanza Family Foundation, the Women’s Research and Education Fund (WREF) and the Women’s Enterprise Development Center (WEDC). It is designed to help women who are owners of microenterprises (businesses with five or fewer employees) achieve greater business success.
The New York Enterprise Report Small Business Awards is the annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of the 500,000+ small businesses throughout the tri-state area. The Small Business Awards will recognize 5 small businesses for their best practices and 3 businesses under the “Best of the Year Awards” categories. A panel of experts in the related fields will judge all award packages. Awards will be presented to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages, revenue profits and/or long-term value. Please note the criteria and requirements listed on the awards website.
The Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition is an annual international business plan competition in Michigan. The event is the world's largest business plan competition with more than $1 million in prizes. The goals of the competition are to promote Michigan as a venue for innovation and opportunity and stimulate job creation.
Submit your pitch on video, telling about your product or service, your marketing plans, your customer base. Tell what makes your business different — why it is one to watch? Do you need capital? If so, how much and what for? Most important, how are you going to make money? All video pitches that meet the submission guidelines will be featured on The New York Times small-business Facebook page and selected pitches will be featured on the New York Times You’re the Boss Blog.
To find more small business events, contests and awards, visit our Small Business Events Calendar. Please note: The descriptions provided here are for convenience only and are NOT the official rules. ALWAYS read official rules carefully at the site holding the competition, contest or award. From Small Business Trends |
| Sample “By Invitation Only” and Turn Your Passion into Profit Posted: 07 Apr 2012 05:30 AM PDT
Just to prove how clueless I am about online clothes shopping, when the review copy of By Invitation Only: How We Built Gilt and Changed the Way Millions Shop showed up I had NO IDEA what "GILT" was, and why millions would shop there. So, like any good marketer, I immediately jumped online to take a look.
WOW – they had me at “best brands at up to 60% off.” I signed up. When I got into the site, I couldn't believe what I saw. It wasn't just clothes – it was a savvy, trendy, bargain shoppers' dream for an online department store. The other interesting thing they feature on the site is a series of low-cost guides for some of the most expensive cities in the country. Now that you and I are on the same page about what GILT is – let's take a look at the book. From Pastime to Idea to Major Shopping Enterprise The story of Gilt Groupe is one any entrepreneur can relate to. Alexis Maybank (@giltfounder) and Alexandra Wilkis Wilson (@giltalexandra) were friends in Harvard who loved going to sample sales. For those of you (like me) who aren't familiar, sample sales are used by retailers to discard excess merchandise that's been used by agencies to sell products. These sales are an opportunity to get high-end designer merchandise at just a fraction of the cost. After both having successful careers in their own right; Maybank launched eBay Canada and eBay Motors while Wilson worked for Merill Lynch, Luis Vuitton and Bulgari. By Invitation Only is the story of how these two friends turned their passion into a thriving online business. Sample Lessons for Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs Throughout the book there are "checklists" that will guide any would-be entrepreneur through a start-up or launch of a new business or idea. Here are a few examples I've picked out from several chapters:
There are many, many more items in these checklists dealing with marketing, management and relationships. While reading this book won't take you from idea to mega-bucks, the areas covered in each chapter will give any small business owner something to think about. Who Will Benefit Most From Gilt? While any entrepreneur or business owner could enjoy this book, I think that women business owners will relate to this book more so than their male counterparts. I say this because my observation of women business owners is that we have to feel a connection to the "topic" of our business. In other words, if we can relate to what we're doing and feel engaged in the content of our business, then the management and innovation that's required to be successful almost seems effortless. Another reason why women business owners will enjoy this book is the way it's written. It's really a story about relationships both personal as well as professional. You'll get to see how Alexis and Alexandra leveraged and managed their friendship inside of the enterprise and how they enrolled others to come along for the ride. Of course, men will enjoy this book too, but for different reasons. The biggest lesson for the guys will be in learning about how women think about business and marketing. For example, relationships and word-of-mouth are critical success strategies for Gilt and you'll see how Alexandra and Alexis leverage their respective strengths to make the most of these strategies. By Invitation Only Is a Good Read That’s Full of Useful Insights I would recommend By Invitation Only as an excellent book to read as you would a novel. After all, it is a story with true-to-life characters, challenges and successes. The only difference is that when you're done reading, you will have walked away with insights about how to turn your passion into a successful business. After you've read the book, hop on over to Gilt and check out the online samples sales. You'll have a whole new appreciation for the experience. From Small Business Trends |
How much clothes shopping do you do online? Personally, I've not been an online clothes shopper because I like to try things on AND I don't like driving to the post office to return what I didn't like. Apparently, I'm NOT the norm. The latest statistics show that books, clothes and electronics are the most popular items 
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