Small Business of the Year

A small business is recognized each month as a Small Business of the Year Finalist for exhibiting financial stability and public service contribution. Each finalist will receive a $500 award and may be selected as the 2024 Small Business of the Year and receive $10,000.

The winner will be announced at the Small Business of the Year Awards Luncheon in January 2025.

The cash awards are sponsored by the Barkin Family Foundation and Stoic Equity Partners.

Criteria:

In business at least four years; Mobile Chamber member for three years
Have 100 or fewer employees
Solid financial base
Demonstrates sales growth/profit or unit growth/new product line/expanding number of employees/innovative initiatives
Evidence of good business practices
Community service contribution(s)
Be a privately-owned, for-profit entity
Headquartered in Mobile, Baldwin or Washington Counties
Current Board members are not eligible to receive this award
Previous Small Business of the Month or Small Business of the Year Finalists may reapply after one year.

Small Business of the Year Winner will receive:

A $10,000 cash award
Featured as Small Business of the Year on TheBusinessView.com
Highlighted in the Business View Weekly email newsletter and on the Chamber’s social media channels
Featured in a “Mobile Chamber Insider” article placed in Mobile Bay Magazine
Featured on the Small Business of the Year webpage header
Recognized in the Annual Report as Small Business of the Year
Featured as Small Business of the Year on billboards around Mobile
Invited as a guest of the Mobile Chamber’s “Mobile Matters Podcast”
Recognition as the Small Business of the Year at the Small Business of the Year Awards Lunch

Small Business of the Year Finalists will receive:

A $500 cash award
The award certificate is presented at the company’s place of business
Featured with article in TheBusinessView.com
Highlighted in the Business View Weekly email newsletter and on the Chamber’s social media channels
Recognized in the Annual Report
Featured as a Small Business of the Year Finalist on billboards around Mobile
Recognized as a Small Business of the Year Finalist at the Small Business of the Year Awards Lunch
Automatically qualified as a candidate for Small Business of the Year

2023 Small Business of the Year:

American WeatherStar
Finalists: Port City Industrial and TC Boiler & Piping.

Application – Small Business of the Year

"*" indicates required fields

Company Name*

Company President or CEO (First Name)*

Company President or CEO (Last Name)*

Title*

Street Address*

City*

State/Province/Region*

Country/Region*

Postal/Zip Code*

Email*

Phone*

Phone (alt)

Website*

What is your federal tax ID number?*

When was the business established?*

How long has current ownership been in place?*

How long has the company been a Mobile Chamber member?*

Number of Employees (2022):*

Number of Employees (2023):*

What is your company's mission?*

Briefly describe the business: the company's history, products or services provided, etc.*

Financial Position

If your company has sustained growth, explain the strategies behind this accomplishment. If your business has not sustained growth in the past two years explain the issues that your business faced, and the methods used to solve them. (A decline does not eliminate a company from consideration.)*

Approximate percentage (%) of growth (or decline) in sales for 2022. Please explain.*

Approximate percentage (%) of growth (or decline) in sales for 2023. Please explain.*

Community Involvement

• Describe how the company is engaged in the community and with the Chamber.*

References: You must submit a written letter of reference from your attorney, accountant, banker, or customer.

Max. file size: 50 MB.

In addition to your letter of reference you may upload relevant documents to accompany your application.

Company Contact (if different from above) (First Name); Company Contact (Last Name); Title; Email; Phone.

Owner/President*

First Last

Signature*

Date

2024 Small Business of the Year Finalist applications must be received by October 1, 2024.

You may save the application and come back to it later. When you are ready to submit it, verify that all information is correct and optional documents are uploaded before submitting.

Phone

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

For more information contact Danette Richards at 251-431-8652 or [email protected].