Nat'l Small Business Week Set For May In DC

 WASHINGTON – Small Business Person of the Year winners from 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam will converge on Washington, D.C. in mid May 2011, when one of them will be selected as National Small Business Person of the Year.

They are among the nation’s top entrepreneurs who will be honored at the U.S. Small Business Administration’s National Small Business Week events May 18-20 in Washington, D.C.  Under the theme, “Empowering Entrepreneurs,” a series of events and educational forums will mark the 58th anniversary of the agency and the 48th annual proclamation of National Small Business Week. 

The state small business winners who will be honored reflect a broad range of business products, services and innovations offered by our nation’s entrepreneurs.  They include a pediatric outpatient clinic, technology solutions company, gourmet chocolate company, “green” commercial cleaning company, and an educational publisher.

Men and women also will be recognized for their involvement in disaster recovery, government contracting, and their support for small businesses and entrepreneurship, and awards will be presented to SBA partners in financial and entrepreneurial development, including the year’s top SCORE Chapter, Small Business Development Center and Women’s Business Center.

Other highlights will include notable speakers and business industry leaders from trade associations and local and federal governments speaking on issues of vital interest to the small business community. 

The 2011 National Small Business Week award events will include the following individuals and groups:

• The National Small Business Person of the Year, selected from the 54 State Small Business Persons of the Year.     

• The Champion Awards, recognizing both individuals and organizations for their achievements on behalf of small business, including minority, women and veteran-owned small businesses.

• The Phoenix Awards, recognizing a public official, a business owner and a volunteer whose efforts have helped their businesses or communities recover successfully from a disaster.

• The Lender of the Year, honoring financial institutions, including those that provide financing for small business exporters and inner city businesses.

• The Entrepreneurial Development Awards honoring Small Business Development Centers, Women’s Business Centers and the National SCORE Chapter of the Year for their innovation and excellence in assistance to entrepreneurs and small businesses.

• The Dwight D. Eisenhower Award for Excellence, recognizing large prime contractors who have excelled in their utilization of small businesses as suppliers and subcontractors.

• The Gold Star Award, recognizing exemplary performance of federal staff who manage the aggressive goals and strategic initiatives that help ensure a role for small business in the federal marketplace.

• The Frances Perkins Vanguard Award, honoring government and industry for excellence in the use of women-owned small businesses as prime contractors and subcontractors.

• The Small Business Prime Contractors and Small Business Subcontractor of the Years, honoring small businesses that have provided government and industry with outstanding goods and services as prime or sub contractors.