2024 Business Excellence Winners

Eligibility:

• Be an independently owned and operated
• For profit enterprise with 50 for fewer full-time employees (Full time equivalency, part-time employees count as ½ FTE)

Award Description:

Honoring a small business that demonstrates a high level of excellence through measurable results. Nominate yourself or another small business who is leading the way through innovation, customer experience, growth, collaboration, or other key metrics.

Nomination Questions:

• Briefly describe how the nominee small business achieves excellence in ways such as innovative products or services, customer experience, growth, and/or collaboration. (200 word maximum)
• Briefly describe how the nominee small business is creating sustainability of results to ensure future business success and vitality. (200 word maximum)
• Provide a quote from a customer or employee that illustrates the nominee small business’ commitment to excellence. (400 word maximum)

Eligibility:

• Be an IRS-recognized not-for-profit entity

Award Description:

Honoring a non-profit that demonstrates excellence through inclusivity, collaboration, and/or results. Nominate yourself or another non-profit that is making a meaningful difference in ways such as: improving our community’s quality of place, partnering with local organizations to maximize collective impact, and/or driving measurable outcomes that create positive change across Allen County.

Nomination Questions:

• Briefly describe how the nominee non-profit demonstrates excellence through inclusivity, collaboration, and/or results. (200 word maximum)
• Briefly describe how the nominee non-profit makes an impact on Allen County in ways such as population served, needs met, financial support provided, public opinion impacted, etc. (200 word maximum)
• Provide a statement of impact from a recipient of the nominee non-profit’s services. (400 word maximum)

Eligibility:

• Open to a business of any size or industry
• Must be located in and/or doing business in Allen County, Indiana.

Award Description:

Honoring a business whose commitment to excellence is evident in innovation, inclusion, belonging, results, community engagement, customer experience, people-first policies, and/or focus on growing the local economy. Nominees will showcase their achievements in 3 categories in which the organization is leading the way.

Nomination Questions:

Pick 3 of the following 7 categories that showcase your organization’s achievements. If your organization excels in more than 3, pick your top 3.

• INNOVATION – Please briefly describe how your organization is innovative in product, process, service, and/or thought leadership. (400 word maximum)
• INCLUSION AND BELONGING – Please briefly describe programs or practices your organization uses to promote a workplace and/or a community of inclusion and belonging. (400 word maximum)
• RESULTS – Please briefly describe the performative results of your organization through growth, expansion, and/or impact; provide measurable and/or anecdotal examples. (400 word maximum)
• COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT – Please briefly describe your organizational commitment to community engagement; provide examples of local involvement. (400 word maximum)
• CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE – Please briefly describe how your organization creates an excellent customer experience; provide examples of consumer feedback. (400 word maximum)
• PEOPLE-FIRST POLICIES – Please briefly describe programs and/or practices your organization uses to encourage talent attraction/retention, employee growth and empowerment, competitive benefit and compensation models, and/or other people-first policies; provide examples of the impact on employee attraction and retention, and/or satisfaction. (400 word maximum)
• GROWING THE LOCAL ECONOMY – Please briefly describe how your organization contributes to the development, improvement, and sustainability of our local economy in Allen County. (400 word maximum)