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Commerce Lexington Inc.
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VIDEO: Hear from several recent Small Business of the Year Award winners as
​they talk about what it meant to their business to be recognized by the community.
Note: Small businesses can apply for ONE award category. Past Category Award and overall Small Business of the Year award recipients are not eligible to reapply for 5 years from the date of their award presentation. Nonprofit Community Impact award winner is not eligible for the Overall Small Business of the Year. Commerce Lexington Inc. has not only streamlined the Salute to Small Business Awards application, removing some redundancy and allowing for better descriptions of the success of the business, but has also reduced the number of award categories from eight to four. ​In addition, the number of employees for a business to be considered has been increased to under 150 employees (full-time or some combination of full- and part-time as indicated in the awards application.

BUSINESS SUCCESS AWARD:
The best small businesses within a community not only provide exceptional products or services but have become part of the fabric of the city. This award exemplifies both business and civic leadership. Community involvement, good management practices, overall financial performance, and workplace culture and employee relations are the primary criteria for this category.  Tell us about unique aspects of your business, such as enhanced services for customers, workplace flexibility initiatives, logistics adjustments, and/or expansion efforts.

ENTREPRENEUR AWARD:
This award celebrates a visionary entrepreneur who has turned an idea into a successful and growing business. 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. 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.

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 COMMUNITY IMPACT 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. Nonprofit Community Impact award winner is not eligible for the Overall Small Business of the Year.
Copyright © 2023 Commerce Lexington Inc., all rights reserved.
COMMERCE LEXINGTON® and the Commerce Lexington logo are registered trademarks of Commerce Lexington.
330 East Main Street, Suite 100, Lexington, Kentucky, 40507
Phone: (859) 254-4447  |  Fax: (859) 233-3304
  • About
    • Message from the Board Chair
    • President's Message
    • Top Investors
    • Board of Directors
    • Racial Equity Pledge
    • Staff Directory
    • Find Our Offices | Parking
    • NEWS
  • Do Business
    • Business Directory
    • Economic Development
    • Minority Business Development >
      • Minority Business Directory
      • Procurement Opportunities
    • Business & Education Network
    • Resources >
      • Start a Business
      • Relocate a Business
      • Funding & Financing
      • Publications
  • Live & Work
    • Relocation Guide
    • Job Openings
    • Getting Around
    • Demographics
    • Cost of Living
    • Lexington History
    • Lexington Rankings
    • Education >
      • Public Education
      • Private Education
    • Health Care
  • Advocacy
    • About Public Policy
    • Your Government >
      • Local
      • State
      • Federal
    • Policy Statements & Key Issues
  • Membership
    • Member Benefits
    • Member Discounts
    • Member News
    • Sponsorship Opportunities
    • JOIN
  • Events
    • Commerce Lexington Events Calendar
    • Community Calendar
    • Submit an Event
    • An Evening With Commerce Lexington
    • EMERGE 2023 >
      • EMERGE Breakouts
      • Speakers
      • Agenda
    • Leadership Visit >
      • Grand Rapids 2023
      • Impact
      • Past Trips >
        • Tampa-St. Petersburg 2022
        • Austin 2021
        • Raleigh 2019
    • Portugal 2023
    • Regional Summit
    • Washington Fly-In
    • Salute to Small Business >
      • Nominate a Business
      • Award Categories
      • Small Business Awards Application
      • Past Award Winners
  • Connect
    • Become a Member
    • Peer Programming >
      • Business Owners Advisory Boards (BOAB)
      • Peer Groups
    • Emerging Leaders of the Bluegrass
    • Leadership Development >
      • Leadership Lexington >
        • Application
        • Class Roster
        • Class Projects
        • Steering Committee
        • Alumni
      • Leadership Central Kentucky >
        • Class Roster
        • Board of Directors
        • LCK Alumni
    • Ambassador Program