Place Your Nomination for SBA’s Small Business Person of the Year and Business Champion Awards
Do you know an exceptional entrepreneur, small business owner, or community member who is an ideal model of success through adversity? Well, now is the perfect time to show them some recognition and honor their business acumen.
The Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce is ecstatic to announce that the SBA’s Lower Rio Grande Valley District is currently seeking nominations from the public for Small Business Person of the Year, as well as other champions of small business. Awards in district, regional, and national recognition are handed out based on a number of metrics including staying power as exhibited by a minimum of three years in business, an increase in the number of employees, a viable increase in sales, contributions to community-based projects, ability to overcome obstacles, and if the nominee has a unique product that provides much needed services to the local community.
Nominations will be accepted through January 10th, 2017 at 2 PM CST and should be postmarked or hand delivered to the SBA’s Lower Rio Grande Valley District Office which is located at 2422 E. Tyler Ave., Suite E, Harlingen, TX 78550.
Applications and guideline packets are available online, or can be obtained by contacting Veronica Ortega, Economic Development Specialist at (956) 427-8533 Ext. 233, or through her email at veronica.ortega@sba.gov.
Individuals who are chosen will be honored during National Small Business Week which runs from April 30th through May 6th of 2017.
Alongside Small Business Person of the Year, any individual or organization that seeks to recognize the success of a high achiever and model entrepreneur, can submit nominations (self nominations are accepted as well) for several other awards including:
DISTRICT, REGIONAL and NATIONAL Awards
- Small Business Person of the Year
- Small Business Exporter of the Year
- 8(a) Graduate of the Year
DISTRICT Awards
- SBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year
- 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
The winner of the Small Business Person of the Year award in the Lower Rio Grande Valley will compete for the state award. If the individual wins at this level, they will go on to compete on a national stage, which is an honor in and of itself.
The SBA’s Lower Rio Grande Valley District Office is proudly located in the city of Harlingen, Texas with a branch office in Corpus Christi, Texas. Covering over 14 counties and servicing approximately 176,000 small businesses, the Valley District Office helps to provide a voice for a diverse and international group of entrepreneurs and business owners that run successful enterprises from beaches to metropolitan cities.
It is because of the great geographical and cultural diversity of the region that the SBA seeks to recognize and honor the importance of all these small business owners who strive to contribute economic prosperity to the local area. So if you know an entrepreneur or community member that started with only a dollar and dream, then turned that into a reality, consider nominating them for SBA’s Small Business Person of the Year.
The Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce would also like to remind all of our members that we are passionate about their success and hope to see many of them nominated for these awards. Their dedication to providing quality services to the Greater Mission Area is the reason that we offer the networking, education, and accessibility resources needed to help them make an impact.
If you’re interested in becoming a Chamber member, please contact us at (956) 585-2727.
