Michigan Celebrates Small Business award nominations sought

Nominations are being accepted for the fifth annual Michigan Celebrates Small Business (MCSB) 2009 awards. The event is the state's premier awards ceremony for entrepreneurs and supporters of small business. Small business owners can earn statewide recognition by entering the 2009 MCSB awards program by completing the nomination form available now at www.michigancelebrates.biz. Nominations must be submitted by November 14 to be considered.

Michigan Celebrates Small Business is a cooperative effort of the Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the Edward Lowe Foundation, Small Business Association of Michigan and the U.S. Small Business Administration - Michigan.

Award categories are Small Business Person of the Year, Entrepreneurial Success Award, Family-Owned Business of the Year, Small Business Exporter, Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Financial Services Champion of the Year, Home-Based Business Champion of the Year, Michigan Small Business Counselor of the Year, Minority Small Business Champion of the Year, Small Business Journalist of the Year, Veteran Small Business Champion of the Year, Women In Business Champion of the Year, The Innovation Award, Main Street USA Best Small Business Award and Government Contract Award. Nominations for these awards will be accepted through November 14 at www.michigancelebrates.biz.

In addition, the Michigan Celebrates Small Business awards include Michigan 50 Companies to Watch. This program is sponsored by the Edward Lowe Foundation and each year recognizes and celebrates the contributions, innovation and energy of 50 diverse second-stage companies in Michigan. Nominations are due November 14 and can come from service providers (such as attorneys, bankers, accountants, public relations representatives, economic development offices, etc.) or companies may self-nominate. Nominees will receive an e-mail with instructions to complete an online application by December 5. Awards will be presented April 30, 2009, at the Michigan Celebrates Small Business event and dinner at the Lansing Center in downtown Lansing.

Underwriters for this year's Michigan Celebrates Small Business are National City, Clark Hill PLC Attorneys at Law, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Michigan Certified Development Corporation, IBM and Dynamic Edge, Inc

About MI-SBTDC
The Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center provides counseling, training and advocacy for Michigan's new business ventures, existing small businesses, expanding new businesses, new technology companies, and innovators. The MI-SBTDC is located at the Grand Valley State University Seidman College of Business in Grand Rapids, Michigan. As host of the MI-SBTDC State Headquarters, the Seidman College of Business oversees the twelve-region MI-SBTDC network. Entrepreneurs and small business owners may access the services of their nearest MI-SBTDC by calling (616) 331-7480 or visiting www.misbtdc.org.