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.
Lat year we rolled out our inaugural Moody on the Market 40 Under 40 to help determine the young professionals who are making a difference in our region. The judges produced a Who’s Who of the under 40 set in our marketplace and we shared their stories with you, publicly recognized them, and they became role models for class 0f 2019 recognized earlier this summer. Their stories can still be found under the tab at the top of the page labeled Community Support.
Emboldened by that experience, the team at Moody on the Market also embarked on a new venture to have the community help identify the market leaders from the truly small business community last year. We often hear that 80-percent of small businesses have 10 or fewer employees, but we expanded that envelope slightly to introduce to you last year’s inaugural Moody on the Market Fifteen Under 15. We went out in search of the very best fifteen companies in Michigan’s Great Southwest that have 15 or fewer employees on staff, and you helped us find them. The 2018 inaugural line up of the Fifteen Under 15 was another great opportunity to pay homage to the small businesses making a huge difference in our midst.
Now, it’s time to determine the 2019 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 last year, 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 remain open until Friday, September 20th at 11:59pm. That’s when the hard work of the judges will take over and on Wenesday, October 23rd, the Moody on the Market Fifteen Under 15 will be rolled out live on the Taking the Lead with Ray Gustafson radio show on WSJM News Talk 94.9 FM, with a special showcase here on Moody on the Market as well. The winning companies will also be invited to a private cocktail reception where 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 Honor Credit Union and Kinexus for underwriting the Fifteen Under 15 as presenting sponsors with support from the Mason Jar Cafe and United Way of SW Michigan. Limited additional opportunities to join the sponsorship are possible by contacting General Sales Manager Lorraine Day at 269-925-1111.
