Make Something Happen: Apply for A Small Biz Award |  |
| Make Something Happen: Apply for A Small Biz Award Posted: 21 Apr 2012 12:15 PM PDT Awards and honors are great for motivation (for you and your employees). They also help distinguish your business from competitors. Don’t sit back waiting for something to happen. YOU must make it happen, by applying for awards. Don’t be shy — nominate your company. Or nominate a customer or client for an award. The list of awards and competitions below is 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. -
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 |
| A Quick Practical Business Guide to Google Plus Posted: 21 Apr 2012 05:30 AM PDT
Amen to that. I like Twitter best. I’m sort of the introvert version of social media — I like conversations at 140 characters a pop. And online. And via the keyboard. But of course, I’ve been watching Google+, trying to keep up there, because it’s Google, a lot of people I like are there, and I’m in social media for business. Plus already has more than 100 million users, and some business press is predicting more than 400,000 by the end of this year. Which is why I like and recommend What the Plus, a short, practical to-the-point book on Google Plus by Guy Kawasaki. It’s all about tips, shortcuts, and step by step to taking more advantage of Plus, and doing it better. Don’t judge it by my presence on Plus, because I’m writing this fresh after reading the book, before implementing. I’m not going to take long, though, to implement this books suggestions for modifying my profile, my profile pictures, my posting strategy, and my approach to circles. It’s a lot easier to learn from a well-written and practical book than my trial and error. It does get very specific. It includes chapters on (among others):
Not that it doesn’t have its point behind it. Guy Kawasaki is known as the original and quintessential Apple Evangelist, which makes this quote particularly significant:
I liked this comparison too, part of an opening chapter called Why I Love Google+: Twitter is about perspectives, FaceBook about people, and Google+ about passions:
It also has a lot of vintage Kawasaki wisdom, applicable to Google Plus and to much of the rest of social media, and life. For example, chapters on:
And a couple of very well placed guest chapters, like How to Thrive in the All-Boys’ Club, guest written by Lynette Young. I should state my bias: I’ve known Guy Kawasaki since the 1980s. He’s a friend. His Art of the Start book is the first one I recommend to people looking at starting, and I liked his Enchantment so much I bought extra copies for several of my grown children. So I was delighted when he sent me a copy of this book on Plus – Plus was on my mind. Ironically, although Guy sent me a copy, I ended up buying my own as a Kindle version. Kindle software is so convenient that it was easier to just spend the $2.99 to buy it then to work with the PDF I already had. Which is another advantage of this book: it’s priced at $2.99 and available electronically in a lot of different convenient places. And to conclude, this quote, from Chapter 10, How to Get More Followers:
It’s hard to argue with that. From Small Business Trends |
Is this you? Do you take Google+ as another network you need to manage? Someplace else to post and watch for business social media? As Guy Kawasaki says himself, in the early pages of the book I’m reviewing here:| You are subscribed to email updates from Small Business News, Tips, Advice - Small Business Trends To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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