Deadline fast approaching for West Virginia SBA awards

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. – The U.S. Small Business Administration is looking for nominations for the 2010 West Virginia Small Business Person of the Year and Small Business Champion awards. The award recipients will be recognized at the SBA’s annual West Virginia Small Business Week Awards Celebration to be held on Thursday, May 13, 2010 at the Tamarack Conference Center in Beckley. All award winners are eligible for regional and national recognition.

Any individual or organization in West Virginia can submit nominations for the Small Business Person and Champion awards. The Small Business Champion awards are selected from individuals or organizations who promote small business, volunteer time and services to small business interest groups, advocate the cause of small business through legislation, or use their professional expertise to assist small business owners. Champions may or may not be small business owners.

The award categories include: Small Business Person; Small Business Exporter; SBA Young Entrepreneur (under age 30); Jeffrey Butland Family-Owned Small Business; Entrepreneurial Success; Financial Services Champion; Home-based Business Champion; Minority Small Business Champion; Veteran Small Business Champion; and Women in Business Champion.

Nominations must be received in the West Virginia District Office by close of business on Monday, Nov. 30, 2009. Small Business Week nomination guidelines and associated forms can be found on the SBA’s West Virginia District Office web page at www.sba.gov/wv (2010 Small Business Week Nomination Criteria under the Spotlight section) of by contacting Rick Haney at the WVDO at (800) 767-8052, ext. 8 (email: richard.haney@sba.gov ).