Enter a Contest or Awards Program: Make Your Business Stand Out


A contest or award can make your business stand out from competitors. You also can win valuable monetary awards and  goods.  Check out our hand-picked list just right for small businesses, startups and entrepreneurs.

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Brother CreativeCenter “Back to Business” Contest  
Brother Prize in Back to Business ContesEnds March 4, 2013

BizSugar is running a contest where you get to show your creativity. Three winners will receive a prize suite of Brother products including a printer, labelmaker, ink and supplies – valued at approximately $500.  To enter just go to the Brother CreativeCenter and use the free tools to design a brochure, business cards, poster, calendar or other item.  Then post it at BizSugar.com.

Contest sponsored by Brother.  Contest details here.

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culture@workCulture@Work in the Heartland Contest
Enter by February 10, 2013

This ten-day, nine-state road trip designed to recognize the important contributions made by startups in the U.S. Heartland while illustrating the connection between great office design and company growth. Companies based in Chicago, IL, Des Moines, IA, Omaha, NE, Kansas City, MO, and Dallas, TX can submit to win a $20,000 office makeover. The contest will give five small and emerging businesses – companies with less than 100 employees – in the aforementioned cities a chance to win a $20,000 office makeover.

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infusionsoft2013 Infusionsoft Northern California Innovator of the Year Award
Enter by February 17, 2013

Infusionsoft is inviting all small businesses headquartered in Northern California to nominate themselves for the 2013 Small Business Innovator of the Year Award. Your small business could win the title of “Small Business Innovator of the Year” and the grand prize, valued at $10,000 in marketing education and promotion for your business. These awards honor the entrepreneurs in our community who exemplify the spirit of innovation.

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onesparkOne Spark
Enter by February 22, 2013, Jacksonville, FL

Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan is partnering with One Spark to offer up to $1 million in capital investment for entrepreneurs who participate in the event in April.

One Spark, an arts-and-innovation festival with the goal of connecting entrepreneurs and capital resources, will hold its inaugural event April 17 to 21 in Downtown Jacksonville.

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enrich_pitchInc. Enrich Your Pitch Contest
Enter by February 25, 2013

In this fast-paced competition, entrepreneurs will go head-to-head for the chance to win big. Contestants will have 90 seconds to pitch their business live on stage at Inc. GrowCo, and judges will ask questions and provide feedback about their pitch and business concepts. The all-star panel of seasoned experts will judge the pitches and choose a winner.

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35K_innov$35K Innovative Product Competition
Enter by February 26, 2013

Fishbowl and Intuit present a competition where entrepreneurs can enter their cool idea or recently launched product for a chance to win between $5,000 and $20,000 in cash prizes and more. See website for details.

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2013 Small Business Online Marketing Contest
Enter by February 28, 2013

Constant Contact has launched the 2013 Small Business Online Marketing Contest in partnership with the Chicago City Treasurer’s Office. The contest is open from now until February 28th, and will award more than $12,000 in cash and prizes to Chicago small businesses for best email marketing and social media marketing campaigns.

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The Small Business Book Awards
Small Business Book Awards for 2013Nominations open through March 3, 2013

The 5th Annual Small Business Book Awards, presented by Namecheap.com, are open for nominations.  These  distinguished awards bring recognition from fans, the public, the industry and your peers.

Business books may be nominated in the following categories:  marketing, technology, management, social media, economics, startups, personal finance, leadership/memoirs, and self-help.

New this year is also a category for “Classics” which allows books regardless of year of publishing, to be nominated.  For the first time, there is also a category for book resources, which will recognize and honor publishers, publishing platforms, publicists and other resources for authors.  Print books and electronic books (ebooks) are welcome.

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morehead_sbdc2013 Northeast Kentucky Small Business Awards
Enter by March 8, 2013

Morehead State University’s Ashland Small Business Development Center is accepting nominations for the 2013 Northeast Kentucky Small Business Awards. The public is encouraged to nominate outstanding small-business owners and/or advocates in three northeastern Kentucky counties — Boyd, Carter and Greenup.

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crainsNYCrain’s New York Business Top Entrepreneurs
Enter by March 15, 2013

Crain’s New York is seeking successful businesspeople for its annual Top Entrepreneurs feature to run in May. Companies must be located in New York City, been in business for at least three years, and have revenue of less than $100 million. See website for entry form and eligibility rules.

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techamericaAmerican Technology Awards
Enter by March 15, 2013

Known as the Termans after Frederick Terman the widely credited father of Silicon Valley, the awards are the only national “Best Of” for technology products and services across the technology industry. Awarded on the basis of a thorough evaluation by industry experts and technology leaders, the Termans are presented at the Technology and Government Dinner in Washington, D.C.

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Dell $100M Innovators Credit Fund
Ongoing

Dell has launched a $100 million Innovators Credit Fund, with the purpose of helping entrepreneurs “maximize potential for innovation, speed to market and job creation.” The credit fund will offer both funding and technology resources with IT support, depending on what each start-up needs.

To be eligible, you must have already received some angel funding or venture capital before you can apply. Start-ups can get up to 10% of its current funding or up to $150,000 with limited credit terms. See website for details and application.

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To find more small business events, contests and awards, visit our Small Business Events Calendar.  If you are putting on a small business contest, award or competition, and want to get the word out to the community, please submit it through our Small Business Event and Contests Form (it’s free).

This list of awards and competitions is brought to you by Small Business Trends and Smallbiztechnology.com.

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.

 

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Laura Leites Laura Leites plans and manages events for clients through her company, L2 Event Production. Laura's projects include the Small Business Influencer Awards, The Small Business Summit, and many of SmallBizTechnology's live and virtual events, including the five-city Small Business Technology Tour.

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