The Nation's Top State Small Business Winners Head to Washington for National Small Business of the Year Award

This year, Small Business Week will be a three-day event in Washington, D.C., taking place at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Events can be viewed virtually through SBA's free, live webcasting, which will be accessible at http://www.nationalsmallbusinessweek.com/.

The National Small Business Person of the Year and runners-up will be selected from among the 53 state small business winners, including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam. More than 100 outstanding small business owners will be honored, reflecting a broad range of business products, services and innovations offered by our nation's entrepreneurs. They include a bed and breakfast owner, Web site developer, printer, brewer, and mobility aid maker.

These small business owners will be recognized during five major award events that will focus on the achievements of America's top entrepreneurs. Besides the State Small Business Persons of the Year, men and women involved in disaster recovery, government contracting, small business champions as well as SBA partners in financial and entrepreneurial development will be honored.

The 2009 National Small Business Week award events will include the following individuals and groups:

• The National Small Business Person of the Year, selected from the 53 State Small Business Persons of the Year.
• The Champion Awards, recognizing both individuals and organizations for their achievements on behalf of small business, including minority, women and veteran-owned small businesses.
• The Phoenix Awards, recognizing a public official, two business owners and a volunteer whose efforts have helped their businesses or communities recover successfully from a disaster.
• The Lender of the Year, honoring financial institutions, including those that provide financing for small business exporters and inner city businesses.
• The Entrepreneurial Development Awards honoring Small Business Development Centers, Women's Business Centers and the National SCORE Chapter of the Year for their innovation and excellence in assistance to entrepreneurs and small businesses.
• The Dwight D. Eisenhower Award for Excellence, recognizing large prime contractors who have excelled in their utilization of small businesses as suppliers and subcontractors.
• The Gold Star Award, recognizing exemplary performance of federal staff who manage the aggressive goals and strategic initiatives that help ensure a role for small business in the federal marketplace.
• The Frances Perkins Vanguard Award, honoring government and industry for excellence in the use of women-owned small businesses as prime contractors and subcontractors.
• The Small Business Prime Contractor and Small Business Subcontractor of the Year, honoring small businesses that have provided government and industry with outstanding goods and services as prime or sub contractors.

Small Business Week will feature a series of forums on Energy (Going Green), Business Financing and Social Media, designed to help entrepreneurs with current, real-world issues that impact their business. In addition, there will be a town hall forum to discuss small business concerns. Small businesses nationwide will be able to view the forums and town hall via live webcast online. Also, the Small Business Week Cyber Café, sponsored by Trend Micro, will provide free Wi-Fi to all attendees.

Additional information on National Small Business Week, including a detailed schedule and registration information, is online at www.NationalSmallBusinessWeek.com. Media outlets are encouraged to cover National Small Business Week events, and can also register online.