Small Business Trends

Every two weeks we update our list of contests and awards for growing companies.  Please note:  Two of them have entry deadlines in the first week of November.  This listing is brought to you as a community service by Small Business Trends and Smallbiztechnology.com.

Win an Internet Marketing Campaign worth $5,000 from Vertical Measures

Enter by: November 3, 2009

Healthcare and wellness businesses can submit a 3 minute video or an essay explaining, in fewer than 600 words and at least one and up to 5 images, why winning an internet marketing campaign is vital for their business. Go here for instructions for entering the contest. A second place winner will receive a customized internet marketing campaign valued at $1,000. Every submission will receive a free Vertical Measures shirt.

2009 Home Business Awards (United Kingdom Only)

Enter by: November 6, 2009

Run by UK home-business website, Enterprise Nation, there are five categories with thousands of pounds worth of profiles and prizes to be won. Deadline date for entry is 6 November with winners being announced at the Enterprise Nation Conference on Home Enterprise Day on Friday 20 November.

* Home Business of the Year
* Home Business Couple of the Year
* Home Office of the Year
* Young Home Business Owner of the Year (under age of 35)
* The 5 to 9 Home Business (open to anyone holding a day job and building the business at nights and weekends)

Prizes include a company profile on the Enterprise Nation site and in a national newspaper, home office supplies and technology from companies including Regus, Staples, Douwe Egberts, Access Storage and Moneypenny, a brand review with top creative agency, free entry to the Enterprise Nation Conference, and a romantic get-away break for the Home Business Couple of the Year.  To enter download the entry form here.

2010 SBA Small Business Awards

Enter by: November 13, 2009

The SBA is now accepting entries at the state level for Small Business awards in multiple categories, including:

• 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 Business 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
• Phoenix Award for Small Business Disaster Recovery
• Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year
• Small Business Subcontractor of the Year

Winners will be chosen  at the district level (in multi-district states), the State level (from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam) and then the National winner for each award is selected from the State winners.

You can find the nomination guidelines here and locate your local SBA office here.

November 13, 2009 National Small Business Week 2010 nominations must be received by SBA district offices.

The Great TCBY Store Giveaway

Enter by: November 30, 2009

TCBY (the frozen yogurt stores) is holding a competition to give away a brand new TCBY franchise store for FREE. To enter you must:

• Create a video up to 2 minutes long indicating why you should win a TCBY store.
• Complete the application form and submit it with your video.
• Legal residents of the U.S. who are 21 and older are eligible to participate.

For more information watch the YouTube video.  You can find the complete rules and the application to enter here.

Elance Contest: What Does “The New Way To Work” Mean To You?

Enter by: December 7, 2009

This contest from Elance is a chance for contract professionals to show the world their best stuff and win a grand prize of $10,000. If you’re a writer, write a story that tells how you are a part of the “new way to work”. If you’re a graphic designer, design something. Developer? Create an app. Finalists will be chosen by December 7, 2009. Rules and entry instructions are on the Elance blog.

NYC BigApps Competition

Enter by: 5:00pm EST December 8, 2009

The NYC BigApps Competition will reward the developers of the most useful, inventive, appealing, effective, and commercially viable applications for delivering information from the City of New York’s NYC.gov Data Mine to interested users. Winners will be chosen for best overall application – including a grand prize – as well as an investor’s choice winner, a data visualization winner and city talent winner. In addition, the public will be able to choose their own “popular choice” winners through NYCBigApps.com. All the winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in January and will receive a total of $20,000 in cash prizes plus dinner with Mayor Bloomberg. The competition is open to individuals, start-up companies and nonprofits with fewer than 50 employees.

Regus Win an Office Sweepstakes: One Year of Manhattan Office Space

Enter by:  December 31, 2009

Winner receives fully-furnished and equipped workspace at one of Regus’ 18 New York City locations, for 12 months.

Entries will be accepted through December 31st, 2009. There is no purchase necessary to enter.  To be eligible for consideration, contestants can fill out an entry form online or at participating Regus locations.

Go here for entry form and to see contest rules.

Make Mine a Million $ Business Competition

Enter by: January 15, 2010

The “Make Mine a Million $ Business” competition is for businesses organized and doing business in the United States that are at least 50% owned by a woman, who want to grow the business to $1 Million or more in revenue in the next 12 to 18 months.

All applicants who are selected as Finalists must attend the Make Mine a Million event at their own expense and be willing to participate in the coaching program, related public relations events, and promotions for the Make Mine a Million $ Business program and its sponsors and other partners.

Applications for the Make Mine a Million $ Business program are screened by Count Me In staff and a team of banking and financial professionals selected by Count Me In. Applicants with the highest ratings will be selected as Finalists.

At the event, each Finalist will make a three-minute presentation of their business, their qualifications, and how they would benefit from the Program. This elevator pitch is given in front of a live audience and a panel of qualified judges selected by Count Me In. The judges, with input from the audience vote, will select which of the Finalists should be named as award recipients.

Apply for the Make Mine a Million award here.

Intuit’s Love a Local Business Contest

Enter by March 3, 2010

In a nationwide effort to help support the growth of small businesses,  Intuit is hosting the “Love a Local Business” sweepstakes.  Fans of local small businesses can nominate their favorite hometown haunt, which will make them eligible for a drawing to win a $1,000 Intuit Growth Grant, which includes a $500 Visa gift card and $500 in Intuit business services, such as Intuit Websites and Web Listings. One of those five winning local businesses will receive a grand prize of $5,000!

In addition, each business that is nominated will appear on a custom Google Map displaying favorite businesses from across the country. The more nominations a business has, the more chances they have to win a grant. Intuit has already awarded $55,000 in small business grants, now it’s time to show support for your favorite neighborhood shop! Go to Love a Local Business for more information.

If you are putting on a small business contest,  award or competition, and want to get the word out to the community, please email the details to:  contests.smb@gmail.com.

To find other small business awards, contests, competitions and grants, 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.