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About the 2012 Leading Moms in Business

Welcome to the one and only ranking focused on those can-do moms who run families and businesses at the same time.

The 2012 StartupNation Leading Moms in Business competition will rank the top 200 mom-run businesses across the United States as determined by the combination of popular vote and the special recognition of our judges for certain outstanding contestants.

Why You Should Enter

First off, the publicity can be priceless. We know that awareness and driving traffic to your business is one of the biggest challenges for any business owner. Winners of the Leading Moms in Business Ranking will be part of a very high profile list that will be published and promoted widely in traditional media such as national and local TV, radio, in newspapers and magazines, and on some of the largest, most influential websites on the web. MSN, Bizjournals, ABC News NOW (and StartupNation, of course) have been among media covering the rankings and spreading the word about these enterprising moms.

In addition, we’ve heard feedback from previous years’ contestants that being part of the competitions enables you to engage your website visitors, email database and business contacts with an exciting announcement that you’re a contestant. By encouraging them to vote for you and support your quest to be a winner, you provide them with a fun way to participate in your success. This can help you create deeper loyalty and affinity, which ultimately can lead to business opportunities and increased revenue.  

Lastly, being named a winner and displaying the Leading Moms in Business winner’s emblem on your website and in your emails will not only a source of pride for you, but also adds immense credibility to your site, your brand and your business. It’s a huge achievement to be selected from among the millions of moms in business, and your customers will recognize and respect this immediately.

Enter your Business

Who Should Enter

To enter you must be a mom and be a majority owner of a business. You must also have a website for your business. No matter what industry, what business model, what size and stage, if you meet those three requirements, you’re encouraged to enter.

Selection Process and Important Dates

The StartupNation judges will review the top 200 vote getters and select businesses from among those to highlight as “Most Outstanding” in specialized categories and themes developed during the judging process.

• January 23, 2012:  Registration and voting begins on.
• April 16, 2012:  You can enter your business until midnight Pacific Time on. Judging and vote tabulation will occur after April 16. StartupNation will select a variety of moms from among the finalists and create editorial feature stories about them.
• April 30 , 2012:  Winners are announced.

How to Enter

Enter your business by completing the simple registration process here at StartupNation. The information you’re asked to provide is very basic and should be easy to complete.

Upon completing the online form, you’ll receive an email with instructions on how to add a compelling description for your business and an image (photo, logo, etc.) to your Contestant’s Profile. This information will ultimately be displayed on StartupNation for visitors to see, comment on and vote on.

Note: It’s very important that you receive StartupNation’s emails and weekly newsletter during the course of the competition so you can stay abreast of developments along the way. Be sure you make a “safe sender” and that you add to your Contacts in your email program.

Smart Strategies

• Use a flattering, good quality image for your Contestant’s Profile. This could be a personal photo, a photo of your office, a product photo, or a logo. Just use something that best expresses what’s special about you and your business.
• Forward a link from your Contestant’s Profile page to people you think are “influencers” and who would be helpful in spreading the word about your quest to be a winner. Be sure to do this selectively – don’t be a SPAMmer!
• Become an active commenter/poster in networking sites and blogs like StartupNation (and other communities) where you can elevate your brand by providing value and all the while maintain links in your posts to your Contestant’s Profile where they can vote for you.

Refer Someone You Know

We hope the StartupNation Leading Moms in Business Competition is an exciting opportunity for you and your mom-run business. If you believe there’s another mom who’s running a business who should enter the competition, definitely send that person a link to get them registered.

For us at StartupNation, our hope is to make the biggest possible positive impact on mom-run businesses and we appreciate your help in spreading the word and shining the spotlight on these inspiring women.