Wayne County residents are encouraged to nominate the best small businesses for recognition.
The Small Business Center at Wayne Community College, Wayne County Chamber of Commerce, Mount Olive Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Foundation of Wayne Community College are seeking nominations for “Small Business of the Year” and “Startup of the Year” awards.
Nominees for the 2017 awards must be based or operated in Wayne County and meet the U.S. Small Business Administration criteria for classification as a “small business.” All legal small businesses are eligible, including those in agriculture, manufacturing, service sector, retail, and all forms of industry. Past winners are ineligible for the three award cycles immediately following their award.
The Small Business of the Year award will be given to the small business that has most demonstrated excellence in business practices, customer service, and community involvement. Other criteria include being a respected corporate citizen, exhibiting growth potential, and offering value to the community through either job creation or general positive image.
To qualify for “Startup of the Year,” nominees must have opened their doors for the first time in either 2016 or 2017. The winner in this category will have “exhibited exceptional thoughtfulness and organization throughout the process of creating its business plan and seeing that plan through to fruition.”
Anyone may nominate a business for an award or they may nominate themselves.
Other nomination requirements are detailed on their respective nomination forms.
Nomination forms are accessible from the Chamber’s website: www.waynecountychamber.com.
Nomination packets must be submitted to the Small Business Center by Jan. 5, 2018.
All nominated business will be recognized and the winners will be presented awards at the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Banquet to be held on Thursday, January 25, 2018 at the Goldsboro Event Center. Tickets for the event will available from the chamber.
For more information on these awards, contact Linda Berard at (919) 739-6940 or lrberard@waynecc.edu.
The Small Business Center is a component of the Wayne Business and Industry Center at Wayne Community College and a member of the North Carolina Small Business Center Network.
The Center provides access to business resources and one-on-one counseling for exploring business ideas, starting a business, or expanding an existing business, and offers free seminars on a variety of topics.
For assistance with business plans, licensing, taxes, federal and state government regulations, business ownership, loan and grant proposals, money sources, market research, cash flow projections, or business management, contact Dale Fey, the center’s director, at (919) 739-6941 or dlfey@waynecc.edu.
Wayne Community College is a public, learning-centered institution with an open-door admission policy located in Goldsboro, N.C. As it works to develop a highly skilled and competitive workforce, the college serves 14,000 individuals annually as well as businesses, industry, and community organizations with high quality, affordable, accessible learning opportunities, including more than 72 college credit programs. WCC’s mission is to meet the educational, training, and cultural needs of the communities it serves.