Award Categories

GREEN INITIATIVE:
Company must display movement toward the implementation of green initiatives. The business would have to demonstrate what they have done to go “green” to quality for this award. Criteria includes written policies, goals and metrics for green practices, provision or use of alternative energy and/or energy efficient products or services, or produce or manufacture a green product or service. As a business or organization, being green means finding environmentally-friendly ways to do business and/or encouraging employee participation in sustainable business practices that have a significant and positive impact on the company and/or the community.

INNOVATION AWARD:
Company must have demonstrated ability in adopting and utilizing technology to directly increase productivity, efficiency, revenue and/or profits. Additional criteria include informed decision-making process around technology adoption, strategic implementation and ability to measure results of utilization. This award is your chance to “wow” us with an innovative practice that your company has implemented in the past year in response to the changes in the economy. Provide an example of a new product, service, business process or system; quantify its growth; and explain how this innovation resulted in reduced expenses or increased operation efficiency for your company.

LEGACY AWARD:
Businesses eligible for this award include companies that have been in business for 25-plus years, multi-generational businesses, and past Small Business Celebration award winners. The award recognizes staying power, longevity, the ability to adjust to the changing economic climate, and company growth.

MINORITY BUSINESS AWARD:
The Minority Business Award recognizes an ethnically-owned member business, which is defined by Commerce Lexington Inc. as a business that is 51-percent owned, operated, and controlled by a person within the following racial and ethnic groups: African American (individual of Black race of African origin or parentage); Hispanic American (Latin American culture, origin or parentage); or Asian American (Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Indonesian, Indochinan, Malaysian, Fillipino, native Hawaiian or other Pacific Island culture, origin or parentage). Tell us about the unique aspects of your business, such as enhanced services for customers, workplace flexibility initiatives, logistics adjustments, and/or expansion efforts.

NONPROFIT AWARD:
To be considered for this award, the organization must highlight its services, fundraising efforts, its impact and return on investment, ability to inspire and engage volunteers, maximizing its output and reach to a wide variety of groups and people within the community.

PHOENIX AWARD:
Phoenix awards are given to those individuals (business owners, volunteers and public officials) whose efforts and contributions have enabled their businesses or communities to recover successfully from a disaster, natural, economic or manmade. Company must have endured a uniquely challenging circumstance or natural disaster and successfully emerged from it stronger and poised for growth in order to qualify for this award. Additional criteria include extent of damage incurred, effort exerted to recover and growth since recovery.

BUSINESS SUCCESS AWARD:
The Business Success Award recognizes a business that doesn’t fall into one of the other award categories. This is your opportunity to put your company’s operations, products and services, growth, and response to adversity up against the “best of the best.” Tell us about the unique aspects of your business, such as enhanced services for customers, workplace flexibility initiatives, logistics adjustments, and/or expansion efforts.

YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR AWARD:
To be considered a young entrepreneur, the individual must serve as a majority owner and operate or bear principal responsibility for operating a small business with at least a three-year track record, and who will not have reached the age of 35 by June 1, 2012. Evidence of success as measured by sales and profits, increased employment opportunities created by the nominee’s business, development and/or utilization of innovative or creative business methods and demonstrated entrepreneurial potential necessary for long-term business success and economic growth.