Small Business: SBA seeks nominations for small-business achievers

Sam Jones is the regional administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Nominations are open for the Small Business Administration national small business awards, which will be presented at the SBA's 2003 National Small Business Conference and Trade Show.

The SBA will this year change the name of its annual national awards ceremony to debut a new format for celebrating small business. It will combine the National Small Business Week and the annual SBA and industry procurement conference to recognize the outstanding achievements of leaders across the small-business community.

At the same time, the conference portion will provide small businesses a forum to learn about pressing issues and create new business opportunities.

As President Bush said, "Wealth is created by Americans by creativity and enterprise and risk-taking. But government can create an environment where businesses and entrepreneurs and families can dream and flourish."

The SBA Awards described and their winners will recognize America's best in the year we will celebrate SBA's 50th anniversary and the engine of our economy: America's small businesses.

Leading up to the week which the president will designate as Small Business Week, the SBA, in partnership with public- and private-sector small-business supporters, will cosponsor several special events to honor and present awards to the nation's entrepreneurs and small-business advocates at the district, state and national levels.

The award winners from local and state events in the following categories will be invited to Washington, D.C. for a National Small Business Conference and Trade Show in their honor.

The National Small-Business Person, Small-Business Prime Contractor, and Small-Business Subcontractor of the Year will be announced and honored at the conference.

They will be joined at the conference trade show by government officials, corporate leaders and small businesses from around the country.

Awards from SBA's Office of Advocacy will be given to two entrepreneurs and other supporters of small business in the following categories:

Entrepreneurial Success;

Financial Services Advocate of the Year;

Home-based Business Advocate of the Year;

Minority Small-Business Advocate of the Year;

Research Advocate of the Year;

SBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year;

Small-Business Exporter of the Year;

Small-Business Journalist of the Year;

Veteran Small-Business Advocate of the Year; and

Women in Business Advocate of the Year.

Any individual or organization dedicated to the support of the small business community in the United States, may submit nominations for Small-Business Person awards and Small-Business Advocate awards.

The nomination guidelines are perhaps the most stringent of any small-business award in the country, but then, the SBA has the reputation of honoring truly the best in each category.

Nominations must be submitted to the SBA district office assigned to your territory.

For a list of the nomination guidelines and other SBA district offices and territories, please see the www.sba.gov Web site. All nominations must be postmarked or hand delivered to those offices no later than Dec. 6.

Help us support the best America has to offer in the small-business world by nominating a small-business owner or supporter today!