Phonebooth to Award $20,000 to the Most Innovative SMB

RALEIGH, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cloud based business VoIP provider Phonebooth, a division of Bandwidth, announced today that it is now accepting nominations for the SMB Innovator Awards contest. The award celebrates small and medium-sized businesses from any industry that showcase innovation as part of their core DNA.

“The SMB Innovator Awards celebrate the trailblazers among today’s small business owners and recognize how they drive business success”

The grand prize winner of the SMB Innovator Award will receive $20,000 to help fund its business, add resources or support any aspect of the company’s growth and development. Those selected as SMB Innovators will demonstrate how innovation manifests itself within their businesses, industries and among their peers, including:

Product development
Business operations
Risk-taking and growth decisions
Employee management
Community impact
Customer service

“The SMB Innovator Awards celebrate the trailblazers among today’s small business owners and recognize how they drive business success,” said Jim Mulcahy, EVP and general manager of Phonebooth. “We understand what it’s like to be a startup and we want to honor and recognize game-changing approaches. If you are a small business owner who has taken the road less traveled and is making a big impact, we want to hear from you.”

The online submission period opens today, Monday, Nov. 5, 2012 and runs through Friday, Nov. 30, 2012. SMB owners interested in submitting a nomination can visit: www.phonebooth.com/smb-innovator-awards.

SMB Innovator Award Top 10

The Phonebooth team will evaluate submissions and select the top 10 SMB Innovators with the help of special guest judges, which have been chosen for their knowledge and understanding of the SMB community. The 10 finalists will be announced, in no particular order, on Friday, Dec. 7, 2012.

Grand Prize Winner

The SMB ranked No. 1 on the list will automatically be named the Grand Prize winner and will receive $20,000 in cash to support business growth and development. The Grand Prize winner will not be announced until after the People’s Choice Award portion of the competition has ended.

People’s Choice Award Winner

From Monday, Dec. 10 to Friday, Dec. 14, a separate People’s Choice Award will be given to one of the top 10 SMB Innovators and determined entirely by online voting. The People’s Choice Award winner will receive a $2,500 cash prize in addition to the items listed under “Honorable Mention” below.

Both the Grand Prize and People’s Choice Award winners will be announced on Monday, Dec. 17.

Honorable Mention

SMB Innovators who rank No. 2-10 on the list will earn honorable mention status and receive:

One Phonebooth User for a year plus one 3-line Yealink T-22 HD IP Phone
A feature in Phonebooth’s press materials with linkbacks to their websites
Inclusion in the People’s Choice Award competition
An engraved SMB Innovator 2012 award
SMB Innovator badge for your website

Key Dates

Nov. 5 – Nov. 30: Online nomination period
Dec. 7: Top 10 SMB Innovators announced
Dec. 10 – Dec. 14: People’s Choice Award online voting period
Dec. 17: Grand Prize and People’s Choice winners announced

Registration Details

Click here to register for the competition. SMB owners are encouraged to enter on their own behalf or can nominate one or more of their business partners, customers, vendors or associates. There is no limit to the number of submissions you can have.

Phonebooth will provide SMB Innovator Award badges to all finalists for use on their websites and in print materials. For more information about the SMB Innovator Awards, click here. For questions regarding the contest, email: smbinnovator@phonebooth.com.

Click here for a full list of contest terms and conditions.

About Phonebooth

Phonebooth is a division of Bandwidth – a nationwide supplier of voice and data communications services to small and medium size businesses. Bandwidth is one of the largest and fastest growing telecommunications providers in the nation with over 13 years’ experience in the telecommunications industry. Phonebooth is a cloud based phone system that is perfect for small businesses, freelancers and independent professionals who need a professional, cost-effective and easy-to-use phone solution.

For more information, click here: www.phonebooth.com. To read the Phonebooth blog, click here: www.phonebooth.com/blog.