For the first time there will be a Premier’s People’s Choice Award that will be part of a series of nine small business awards this year.
“The people’s choice award will go to a small business in a community that their community thinks they’ve gone above and beyond,” said Naomi Yamamoto, Minister of State for Tourism and Small Business.
After a business is nominated, it will be up to the business to rally community support to vote for them on the Internet.
“They don’t even have to be a hugely successfully business,” Yamamoto said. “It’s more about that business and the community.”
Without that business owner in town, there might not be an extra hockey coach or a community foundation member, she suggested.
“We need to recognize the importance of small business in our communities and we know that when small businesses do well and feel supported, the community does well.”
Small business people just don’t run businesses, they give so much back to the community, she added.
The deadline for nominating is Nov. 30 and the formal awards will take place in February 2014.