Forbes magazine has launched its first-ever Forbes Main Street Awards and they are calling for nominations.
Do you run a brick and mortar store with a thriving e-commerce strategy?
Is your company making a difference in your community, beyond sponsoring the school soccer team?
Have you come up with a surprising social media strategy that’s boosted revenues and profits?
The contest has four categories:
- Best Social Media Campaign: Awarded to a small business that has done something smart, unique and effective in social media. Entries should detail platforms used, content, social media strategy, engagement metrics and overall results. Numbers help.
- Best Paid Marketing: Awarded to a small business that has done something smart, unique and effective in paid marketing. Entries should detail the platforms used, content, engagement metrics and overall results. Numbers help.
- Best Brick-and-Mortar Adoption of E-Commerce: Awarded to a small business that has embraced the web. Entries should detail how you’ve expanded a traditional business online. Detail your web strategy, digital platforms and marketing efforts. Report results, including numbers.
- Best Community Engagement: Awarded to a small business making a difference in its community, beyond writing a check or sponsoring an event or activity. Detail the engagement, including time and money spent. Quantify the impact on the community and on your company and employees.
They are accepting nominations until August 17, 2017 at 11:59 pm ET.
Contestants must fill out a short online questionnaire.
They’re also encouraged–but not required–to upload a one-minute-or-less video “elevator pitch.”
Entries will be judged by a Forbes editorial team, led by Small Business Editor Loren Feldman. One winner will be selected for each category and featured on Forbes.com and in the December 12, 2017 issue of Forbes magazine.
To qualify, you must:
- Be a for-profit Main Street business (not a company with a national footprint);
- Operate primarily in one American community or region; and
- Not be funded by venture capital.
In keeping with Forbes’ 100-year tradition of promoting entrepreneurial capitalism, the awards are intended to celebrate innovative, surprising local players who might otherwise escape Forbes’ notice.
The contest is sponsored by Canon U.S.A. Inc. In addition to coverage in Forbes, winners will get an engraved award and a Canon MAXIFY MB5420 Wireless Small Office All-in-One Printer.