Programs

2011 Minority Enterprise Development Awards Celebration

Nominations Are Now Being Accepted

M.E.D. honors the many accomplishments of minority business owners on national, state and local levels.  The Diversity Committee of the Spartanburg Area Chamber is preparing for the Tuesday, October 25, 2011 awards celebration and is currently accepting award nominations.  When considering a nominee, please keep the following criteria in mind for each of the awards:

 Minority Business Person of the Year
Any minority and/or female individual who owns and operates or bears principal responsibility for operating a business may be nominated.

Evaluation Criteria:

  • Staying power — a substantiated history as an established business.
  • Growth in number of employees — a benchmark to judge the impact of the business on the job market.
  • Increase in sales and/or unit volume — an indication of continued growth over the last 3 yrs.
  • Current and past financial reports — a substantiation of improved financial position of the business.
  • Innovativeness of product or service offered — an illustration of the creativity and imagination of the nominee.
  • Response to adversity — examples of problems faced in the nominee’s business and the methods used to solve them.
  • Contributions to aid community-oriented projects — evidence of the use of his/her personal time and resources.
  • Must be a Chamber member

Minority Business Advocate of the Year
Individuals who have fulfilled a commitment to support minority entrepreneurship may be nominated. Nominees may or may not be small business owners.

 Evaluation Criteria:

  • Volunteer efforts beyond business/professional responsibilities to advance minority business or minority entrepreneurship interests within the community, state and/or nation.
  • Demonstrated efforts to improve conditions in the minority business or the minority entrepreneurship community as a whole, not solely for individual personal advancement.
  • Voluntary provision of professional services to the minority business or entrepreneurship community in a legal, legislative, managerial or financial capacity.
  • Demonstrated accomplishments in advising minority business or minority entrepreneurship groups of opportunities within the overall business community.
  • Other accomplishments demonstrating the nominee’s merit as an effective advocate for minority business or minority entrepreneurship interests.
  • Must be a Chamber member.

 

SUBMIT YOUR NOMINATION