Skip to content

Nominate your favourite business for a Small Business BC award

After another challenging year for entrepreneurs, Small Business BC is asking residents to help celebrate the small businesses they love by nominating entrepreneurs who are making a difference in their community for the annual Small Business BC awards. 

“At the heart of every small business is an entrepreneur whose drive and determination pushes them, even as they face challenges and hurdles in their path,” says Small Business BC CEO, Tom Conway. “The SBBC Awards is about celebrating that entrepreneurial spirit and supporting small businesses that inspire us all. I encourage all BC residents to nominate a business that has helped strengthen your community.” 

The Small Business BC Awards are held annually as an opportunity to bring attention to the small businesses making a big difference in our province. As a show of support, British Columbians are encouraged to put forward local businesses that have not only embraced the challenge of entrepreneurship, but have also gone above and beyond to invest in their communities. Winners will be awarded with top business titles, sharing $15,000 in prize money.

The Small Business BC Awards, sponsored by Kwantlen Polytechnic University, have been adjusted this year to feature two award categories, focusing on honouring truly impactful businesses and allowing winners to receive larger cash prizes and more business support. 

Award nominations are open until February 28, 2022 and can be submitted at sbbc.co/nominate. Over 400 nominations have been received so far. Businesses can be nominated by both members of the public and by the business owners themselves, showcasing their hard work and dedication through this competition. 

Northern BC Award Winner: Jada Creations

“Taking part in the SBBC Awards has been incredible. It’s opened up a whole world of resources and support to me,” says Jaimie Davis, owner of Jada Creations in Terrace, and past winner of the Small Business BC Awards. “It’s given me a whole new appreciation for my little community here in Terrace. It was one of my childhood friends that nominated me for the award, and it was my community that voted for me. I couldn’t have done it without them.”

Jada Creations is an Indigenous owned and operated business specializing in authentic Indigenous wearable art, founded by Jaimie Davis. Last year she took home the Best Solopreneur Award which recognizes an outstanding individual that has started and grown a solo business. 

Last year, Fort St. John business, Audielicious Restaurant was a Top Five finalist for the Best Immigrant Entrepreneur Award, recognizes an outstanding new Canadian who has started a successful business in B.C.

SBBC Business Impact Award

This SBBC Business Impact Award, sponsored by Coast Capital Savings, goes to business owner(s) who are truly making a difference. These hard-working individuals embrace the challenge of entrepreneurship, display their business savvy, and take positive action to invest in their community. They are navigating the rapidly changing business landscape, especially throughout the pandemic, and leveraging the challenge to improve their business while also finding new ways to serve their community.

Premier’s People’s Choice Award

It takes a community to grow a small business. It also takes a community to win the Premier’s People’s Choice Award. This unique award category, sponsored by the Province of British Columbia, is presented to a BC-based small business that can demonstrate the unwavering and loyal support of their community by gaining the most online votes.

The Awards Process

Nominations 

Award nominations are open from January 20, 2022 to February 28, 2022. Nominations can be submitted at sbbc.co/nominate. Once a small business is nominated, they must gain as many public votes as possible for their business, leveraging all creative channels. Voting is collected on the SBBC website until February 28, 2022.

Top Five 

The businesses with the most votes in the SBBC Business Impact Award category (after a normalization process to allow for regional populations) will be narrowed down to the top 20, then judged by an internal panel of business experts to select the Top Five finalists. 

Winners

The Top Five businesses for the SBBC Business Impact Award will be invited to present to a panel of judges, pitching why their business should win the award. The panel of past SBBC Award winners, business professionals and advisors will then select the winner, and the first and second place runners up. The winner of the Premier’s People’s Choice award will be selected based on the most votes, after a normalization process to allow for regional populations.

Virtual Awards Gala

On April 28, 2022, a virtual gala will be hosted by Small Business BC to announce and honour the winners of the 19th annual Small Business BC Awards. 

Prizes

The SBBC Business Impact Award category prizes include:

1st place: $8,000

2nd place: $4,000

3rd place: $1,500

The winner of the Premier’s People’s Choice Award will receive $1,500. 

All winners and top five finalists will receive an extended business education and advisory package from Small Business BC to support their continued business growth. 

As the leading entrepreneurial awards competition in British Columbia, the Small Business BC Awards not only recognize the outstanding achievements of local entrepreneurs, they also provide a powerful platform for future success. 

 

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *