The 2003 SBA's National Entrepreneurial Conference
& Expo (NECE) will take place on September 17-19, 2003, at
the Washington Hilton & Towers.
SBA's National Entrepreneurial Conference &
Expo includes key components of National Small Business Week and
Annual Procurement Conference.
Business Sessions
- This year's business sessions are being designed to provide
small businesses with useful, practical and tangible advice,
assistance and insight.
- Tentative topics include: Access to Capital, Entrepreneurial
Development, Importing & Exporting, Contracting, E-Government,
Contacting your Elected Official, Women's Issues, Venture Capital,
Regulatory Relief, Franchising, Human Resources, Customer Service,
Marketing, Innovations, Protecting you Small Business Post 9/11.
Matchmaking
- In its second year, the matchmaking component will bring together
subs and prime contractors with small businesses to make deals
at the conference.
Trade Show
- This year's conference will feature over 175 exhibitors: international,
federal, state, corporate, and small businesses.
- The emphasis will be on selecting exhibitors that will conduct
business with small businesses.
SMALL BUSINESS WEEK September 17-19, 2003 FACT SHEET
Each year for the past 40 years, the President of the United
States has issued a proclamation calling for the celebration of
Small Business Week. National Small Business Week, which is sponsored
by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
May 5-9, 2003. The celebration honored the estimated 25 million
small businesses in America that employ more than half the country's
private work force, create three of every four new jobs, and generate
a majority of American innovations.
Small Business Person of the Year
Small Business Week recognizes outstanding small business owners
for their personal achievements and contributions to our nation's
economy. One outstanding entrepreneur is named to represent each
state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam as the state
Small Business Person of the Year. From this group, the national
Small Business Person of the Year is chosen.
Trade associations, chambers of commerce and business organizations
frequently sponsor candidates. Sponsors submit a nomination package
to the nearest SBA district office for review and selection by
each district's Small Business Advisory Council. Nomination packages
are then sent to regional SBA offices and prepared for transmittal
to the SBA Office of Advisory Councils for review. The national
Small Business Person of the Year, as well as two runners-up,
are selected by the SBA Administrator based on the recommendations
of the National Advisory Council and are announced during National
Small Business Week.
Selection criteria for Small Business Persons of the Year
are:
- 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.
- Current and past financial reports: substantiating
the improved financial position of the business; a profit-and-loss
statement and balance sheet for the last three complete years.
- Innovativeness of product or service offered: 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 by nominee to aid community-oriented
projects: through the use of his/her personal time and other
resources.
Small Business Advocates and Special Award Winners
During Small Business Week, Small Business Advocates
and Special Award Winners are also honored.
A small business advocate is an individual who has used
his or her professional expertise or personal talents to further
the understanding and awareness of small business. These individuals
have also taken an active role in creating opportunities for small
business.
The following small business advocate awards are presented:
- Minority Small Business Advocate of the Year
- Women in Business Advocate of the Year
- Veteran Small Business Advocate of the Year
- Accountant Advocate of the Year
- Financial Services Advocate of the Year
- Small Business Journalist of the Year
- Home-based Business Advocate of the Year
The special awards category recognizes a top young entrepreneur,
a small business exporter and a former "small" business by SBA
size standards that has grown into a large business with SBA assistance.
Individuals whose efforts and contributions enabled their businesses
or communities to recover successfully from a disaster are also
recognized.
The following special awards are presented:
- Small Business Exporter of the Year
- SBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year
- Entrepreneurial Success Award
- Phoenix Award for Small Business Disaster Recovery
- Phoenix Award for Outstanding Contribution to Disaster Recovery
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