Two organizations are teaming up to recognize the best of Wayne County’s small businesses.
The Small Business Center at Wayne Community College and the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce are seeking nominations for “Small Business of the Year” and “Startup of the Year” awards.
Nominees for the 2015 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, growth potential, and 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 of 2014 or 2015. 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 criteria specific to each of the awards are detailed on their respective nomination forms.
Forms are available from the Small Business Center in Room 108 of the Walnut Building on the college’s main campus, by contacting Linda Berard at (919) 739.6940 or lrberard@waynecc.edu, or by going to www.wayneworksnc.com.
Nomination packets must be submitted to the Small Business Center by Nov. 30, 2015.
All nominated business will be recognized and the awards will be presented at the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Banquet to be held on Thursday, January 28, 2016. Tickets for the event will available from the chamber.
For more information on these awards, contact the center’s director, Scott Wolford, at (919) 739-6941 or sawolford@waynecc.edu.
The Small Business Center is a component of the Wayne Business and Industry Center at Wayne Community College. 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 Wolford.
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, it 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.
Wayne Community College’s mission is to meet the educational, training, and cultural needs of the communities it serves.