SmallBusinessNewz

A small business contest that we talked about way back in February is now reaching its last stages.  Dell and the National Federation of Independent Business have named ten U.S. finalists for this year's Small Business Excellence Award.

Here's hoping that one or two of the companies are owned by SmallBusinessNewz readers.  If not, well, congratulations still go to everybody associated with Acadia Foot & Ankle, P.A., American Wire Rope & Sling, Appleton Learning, Bellingham Internal Medicine, BusinesSuites, Forensic Training Network, Geo-Source, GroundWork Design, Interactive Marketing, and Vitals.

A new Dell laptop, along with a one-year NFIB membership, should now belong to each of them, and of course they're all one step closer to U.S. and international prizes worth more than $25,000 and $50,000, respectively.

NFIB President and CEO Dan Danner also applauded the finalists and all small businesses by stating, "Our research shows that small firms are twice as innovative per employee as larger firms, and the companies who entered this year's award demonstrate that fact.  These companies are the cream of the crop, chosen from a record 3,000 applications in the U.S. alone.  We are proud to showcase the finalists and emphasize how technology can help our members thrive and grow their businesses."

Small Business Excellence Award national winners should be announced in September, with the global winner getting named at some unspecified time in the fall.