Regular readers of this Moody on the Market website know that our primary focus is business, and especially the small business community of Michigan’s Great Southwest. We work hard every day to track the men and women who risk their life savings and put everything on the line to bring products, services, experiences and more to everyone who lives here, works here, plays here or stays here. Their stories are routinely peppered across the pages of the website so you know what’s happening with them, to them, around them and because of them.
Over the past several years we have developed a dynamic leadership series of awards targeting the people and businesses in our region who are making a difference for all of us. Our first such venture was the inaugural Moody on the Market 40 Under 40, designed to honor the young professionals in our marketplace, and we just completed our third year class of recognition this summer in those ranks.
Emboldened by the experience and the prestige accorded the program, our team embarked on two additional award series, the 20 Best Places to Work in Southwest Michigan regardless of the size of the business under consideration, and the Fifteen Under 15 which searches specifically for those business enterprises with 15 or fewer employees, largely because 80-percent of small businesses typically have 10 or fewer employees, but we expanded that envelope to include a little wider prospect list in the region.
So far, two classes of the Fifteen Under 15 have been recognized in the series and you can find their stories on the tab at the top of the page designated for the Fifteen Under 15.
Now, it’s once again time to pay homage to the small businesses making a huge difference in our midst. It’s time to determine the 2020 Class of the Moody on the Market Fifteen Under 15, and that’s where you come in. We want your help once again in finding them.
Beginning today, anybody in the region can nominate their favorite small business entity for recognition including those small businesses themselves. Just as in past years, the judging will be rigorous, however, so you’ll want to make certain that your nomination is a standout one. A select panel of outside judges from the business community will sift through the entries and make the final determinations in the weeks ahead. They are looking for dynamic small business enterprises and organizations making a difference for not only their team, but for the community at large.
Nominations are now open and will remain open until midnight on Sunday, October 4th, 2020. That’s when the hard work of the judges will take over and in late October, the Moody on the Market Fifteen Under 15 will be rolled out live on the Taking the Lead with Jim Gifford and Spencer Rivers radio show on WSJM News Talk Sports 94.9 FM, with a special showcase here on Moody on the Market as well. The winning companies will also be invited award recognition ceremonies either in person or virtually, wherein recognition plaques will be distributed for placement in their place of business for all to see.
There are 20 questions in the nomination process, a number of which are essay-style asking for detailed information on what the nominee companies do, their culture, how they impact the community and more. You will do well to allow some time to make your entry as complete as possible, inasmuch as cursory and incomplete data will fade quickly in comparison to well thought out responses that truly tell the story of deserving companies and organizations in our marketplace.
Considering the sheer volume of small businesses in our midst, the bar will likely be set very high by the judges, but don’t let that keep you from nominating those who are truly deserving of this recognition.
Click the link below to go to the rules and criteria…and then follow that same link or the Fifteen Under 15 tab at the top of the page to fill out the nomination form to get your favorite small business with 15 or fewer employees in the running for this prestigious honor.
Here’s the link: https://www.moodyonthemarket.com/15under15/
Our thanks to McGhee’s Heating & Air Conditioning and the Southwest Michigan Regional Camber for underwriting the Fifteen Under 15 for 2020 as presenting sponsors with support from the Mason Jar Cafe and United Way of SW Michigan.
