Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce

The Small Business of the Month Award

The Small Business of the Month Award is determined by a nomination and selection process of the volunteer Awards and Recognition Task Force. Nominations are made and submitted via the nomination form to the Small Business Development Department. The task force meets approximately on a quarterly basis and evaluates and scores the nominees based on the following criteria:

Must be a current Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce member
Must have 100 or fewer employees
Apparent solid financial base
Considered successful by peers
Expanding number of employees
Sales growth and/or profit growth
Outstanding public service contribution
In business a minimum of one complete year

Monthly winners are recognized in the monthly issue of The Business View and are introduced and presented with their Small Business of the Month plaque at the monthly Board of Directors meeting.

On-Line Nomination form

List SBM winners for previous year Go to top

Small Business of the Year Award

Small Business of the Year Award (Winner is submitted to US Chamber and SBA Awards)

Every year the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce recognizes excellence in its small business community by awarding the Small Business of the Year Award to a deserving recipient. The candidates are either nominated by customers or vendors, or a firm may self-nominate. The Mobile Chamber will contact the nominees to get additional information for the competition. The award is presented at the Chamber�s Annual Meeting in January. The winner and runner-up will be encouraged to complete the application process for both the U.S. Small Business Administration�s and the U.S. Chamber�s Small Business of the Year Award.

To be eligible for consideration, the business must have been in operation for a minimum of five years, must have prospered under the nominee�s guidance, must qualify as �small� by SBA standards and must be a current member of the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce.

Evaluation Process: A volunteer committee will convene to review and evaluate the nominations and choose a winner based on how well they presented their information based on the following criteria:

Staying power - a substantiated history as an established business.
Job creation - a benchmark to judge the impact of the business. Explain the types of jobs your company provides (minimum wage, middle management, professional/technical, skilled, etc.)
Net wealth creation (increase in sales and/or unit volume) � An indication of continued growth. Describe what portion of your sales revenue is derived from local, state, regional, national or international markets.
Innovation � An illustration of the creativity and imagination of the nominated business.
Response to adversity � Describe any situations in which your business has overcome adversity.
Community contribution � List any community service activities in which your company is involved.

On-line Nomination Form

2006 winner (and list finalists) Go to top

Eagle Awards

The accomplishments, successes and contributions of minority-owned businesses in the Mobile area are celebrated at The Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce annual Eagle Awards Ceremony. Five winners are chosen each year based on specific criteria. The competition is open to any minority business that meets the stated criteria, it may be a newcomer to the Eagle Awards or a former Eagle winner. The business may be nominated by a customer or vendor, or a firm may self-nominate. Nominated companies for the Eagle Hall of Fame must be a Chamber member. Potential members are allowed to compete for the Eagle Award only.

Eagle Award winners will automatically receive nomination for the Chamber�s Small Business of the Year Award Competition. However, companies must meet the stated criteria for the Small Business of the Year.

For definition purposes, a minority owned business is one that is 51% owned, operated and controlled by members of the following ethnic groups: African-American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian or Asian-American. Winners will be selected by an independent panel of judges based on the following criteria:

Business is headquartered in the Mobile-Baldwin area.
In business a minimum of three (3) years.
Exhibited revenue and/or employee growth.
Apparent solid financial base.
Is a for-profit company.
Evidence of community service contribution or involvement.
Must be a Chamber member in good standing to enter into Eagle Hall of Fame.

On-Line Nomination Form

On-Line Application Form

Past Winners Go to top

Minority Business Advocate of the Year Award

To be eligible to compete for the Minority Business Advocate Of The Year Award, a business must meet the following minimum criteria:

Be a member in good standing with the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce

Have three complete years of operation (as of December 31, 2005)

Have an office in the Mobile metropolitan area (Mobile, Baldwin or Washington counties).

Company must show a commitment to Supplier Diversity.

Companies wishing to participate must submit a completed application form with at least one letter of reference from a minority owned business or community leader. Applicants must also submit a reference letter from any of the following business associates: a company attorney; CPA or banker; vendor or customer. All information will be kept strictly confidential and will be used only by the judging panel.

As a part of the selection process, finalists for the Minority Business Advocate Of The Year Award will be required to interview with a judging panel (independent of the Mobile Area Chamber). The Minority Business Advocate Of The Year Award winner will be selected by the judging panel based on information provided in the application, reference letters and interview results.

On-line Nomination form

Print Nomination form

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