Small businesses have been at the heart of many debates in recent weeks. Although the recession and jobs crisis have made it increasingly more difficult to run a successful small business or launch a startup, more and more brands and offering a helping hand in the form of grants and competitions. Here’s a quick look at four contests that are aiming to help startups and small businesses grow.
FedEx
FedEx is giving small businesses the chance to grow with the Small Business Grant Contest. Small business owners can submit their business’ story and photo until November 17 and participants, fans and customers can vote for their favorites through November 24. One lucky small business owner will walk away with the grand prize of $25,000, while five first place winners will receive $5,000. Learn more by visiting the official site.
Small Business Challenge
The Small Business Challenge is giving deserving small businesses, startups and entrepreneurs the chance to get the funds they need to expand and succeed, while helping create jobs in the U.S. Prizes include first, second and third place prizes of $25K, $15K and $10K in cash, in addition to marketing services. Enter or vote for a business here.
vFlyer Build a Better Website Contest
vFlyer is giving credit to webmasters and site builders who have used their product to build a great site for their business. Although some entries for the Build a Better Website Contest have already been submitted, participants can enter until October 24. The top three sites will win $2,500, $500 and $250 for their work. Learn more, or enter the contest, here.
Love a Local Business
Through its small business blog, Intuit has been a great resource for small business owners. Another great resource is its recurring Love a Local Business contest. The current cycle is accepting submissions and votes until November 15. One lucky winner will get a grant of $5,000 to put towards their small business or startup.
http://lovealocalbusiness.intuit.com/sbo
