How it Works
The 2012 Small Business Influencer Awards have 3 phases: (1) Nominating; (2) Community Voting; (3) Judging and Awards Ceremony.
Scroll down to the bottom of the page for more FAQs.
1 Nominating
May 1, 2012 - July 15, 2012
How do I nominate?
Click the yellow NOMINATE button on the navigation bar. Fill out the form. Be sure to click submit at the end. PLEASE NOTE: The nominations form will not be activated until May 1, 2012. Please mark your calendar and check back then!
Who is eligible to be nominated?
A person, company or organization in North America that has accomplished or produced something that positively impacts a group of small businesses. More in the Rules…
2 Community Voting
July 16, 2012 - August 5, 2012
How will voting be conducted?
When the voting period comes up, voting buttons will appear on the site. You can vote once per nominee per IP address per day. Vote for as many nominees as you wish.
What's the purpose of voting?
The purpose of voting is to show your support. The small business market doesn't always get the same recognition as other markets. Voting gives the community a chance to give a big thumbs up to the people and entities that support them.
3 Judging and Awards
Small Business Influencers 100 Champions announced in mid-August
Awards Gala: October 17, 2012 in New York City
What do winners get?
The winners get much-deserved recognition for their contributions to the small business market. Recognition will be online and also at a Gala Awards event in New York City, where champions will receive a commemorative Glass Award and press opportunities.
Who are the Judges?
The judges are people who live, breathe, eat and sleep things small-business, with a variety of backgrounds. More about Judges…
More Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Click on the links below to get the answers to your questions.
I tried to vote and it says "Voted" already. Why?
Votes are allowed one per IP address, every 24 hours, for each nominee. Make sure a full 24 hours has gone by. Also, often all those in the same office or home will have the same IP address. That's because your Internet Service Provider (ISP) may assign a single IP address to your router. To the outside world your IP address is the same for every device that connects through that router. (You can test this from your home or office at this special page we've set up, by visiting that page from each computer or device, to see if all show the same IP address.) Try alternatives such as using a mobile phone. Or if in the office, try voting from home -- or vice versa. We know this is a limitation, but it applies to everyone, and it's the best option available for counting votes.
Why didn't my nomination show up right away?
All nominations are subject to review for eligibility. Nominations also may be adjusted for proper categories, typos, and other editorial reasons. We will strive to review all nominations as quickly as possible, within 48 hours.
What types of Awards are there?
There are two types of Awards: Community Choice, and Top 100 Influencer Champions.
The Community Choice Awards are based solely on the popular vote. The top 5 vote getters in each of 6 categories will be named as Community Choice Award winners. This is a new category for 2012, initiated due to popular demand. The Community Choice Award winners will be recognized online and are permitted to display an official Community Choice winner’s insignia.
The Top 100 Influencer Champions is a judged Award taking into account the contributions of the nominee based on the Judges’ knowledge and experience, together with the community voting. The results will be based 60% on the Judges’ combined vote and 40% on the community vote.
Can sponsors win Awards?
Sponsors may be nominated. They are eligible to be voted on by the community and to be included in the Community Choice Awards, if they are among the top 5 vote getters in their category. That’s because the Community Choice Awards are solely based on vote counts by the community.
Sponsors, however, are not eligible for the judged Top 100 Influencer Champion Award, but will instead receive recognition at the Awards Gala as a Top Supporter of Small Business, for making it possible to hold the Awards without charging a nomination fee for participants to enter and for their support of small businesses.
Why didn't I win?
The Community Choice Award honorees are determined solely based on community voting. Nominees ENCOURAGE their communities, followers, customers and the world to vote for them!
The Top 100 Champions is based 40% on the community vote, and 60% on the Judge's vote. Competition is fierce for these 100 spots. It's not just about being an awesome professional (to be nominated you probably are!) or that your company is an excellent vendor (again, just being nominated says much about the quality of your products and services). Rather it takes a track record of substantial contributions toward significant numbers of small businesses in the preceding year. Examples:
- advocating on behalf small businesses, e.g. through legislative change
- revolutionizing how small businesses do business or solve business challenges through introducing a new product category or a completely different take on an existing product,
- using educational outreach to help large numbers of small businesses grow, e.g. through webinars, articles, blogs and more, or
- otherwise having a large impact on significant numbers of small businesses.
Questions? Contact Us
