Every small business has a story.
Some begin on a kitchen table, a garage, a storefront, a spare room, or a small rented space with big plans attached to it. Some grow slowly, while others hit a quick opportunity that transforms what is possible.
The SBA Awards are one way to recognize that story.
Each year, the U.S. Small Business Administration celebrates entrepreneurs and small business owners through National Small Business Week, which has recognized for more than 60 years the contributions of small businesses to the United States economy. The SBA highlights awardees from all 50 states and U.S. territories as part of this national celebration.
For Rhode Island business owners, being nominated can feel exciting — and maybe a little intimidating. There’s an application process. There are questions to answer. There’s a story to tell. And if you’re already busy running a business, it can be easy to wonder whether it’s worth the time. Past Rhode Island SBA award winners say it is.
Here’s what several winning Ocean State entrepreneurs shared about how SBA recognition affected their businesses, what the process helped them see, and why other business owners should consider applying for an SBA Award.
Recognition builds credibility
For many small businesses, credibility takes years to build. Customers want to know they can trust you. Partners want to understand your track record. Lenders, vendors, referral sources, and larger clients often look for signals that your business is steady, capable, and growing.
An SBA award is one of those signals.
Gloria Chacon, President of Green View Tree Service, received the SBA Rhode Island Home-Based Business of the Year Award in 2023. Looking back, she said the recognition helped strengthen how people saw her business.
“Winning the SBA award really helped put our business on the map,” Gloria said. “It gave us greater credibility with potential clients, provided valuable exposure and free publicity, and helped attract larger, higher-quality clients and opportunities that were a better fit for our company. The recognition also gave people confidence in who we are and the quality of the work we provide.”
That’s one of the biggest reasons to apply.
Awards don’t replace the work. They recognize the work you’ve already done. They help others see the discipline, service, growth, and persistence behind your business.
The process can help you tell your story
Many business owners are so focused on what’s next that they don’t stop to look at how far they’ve come. Sound familiar?
The SBA award application process gives owners a reason to pause, organize their story, and reflect on their progress.
Dana Pinnock, Owner of Hideaway Solutions LLC, won Manufacturer of the Year in 2026. For her, the nomination and application process offered more than a chance at recognition. It also created space to look back at the company’s growth.
“The application process isn’t difficult, and the questions actually push you to reflect on where you were before and where you are now,” Dana said. “You’ll see the progress, win or lose, and take pride in the accomplishments and growth you have made.”
Even if a business owner doesn’t win, the process can help clarify milestones, challenges, decisions, growth, and community impact. Those same details can be useful later for marketing, lender conversations, grant applications, public relations, and business planning.
Awards can open doors
A strong business story can travel further when more people hear it.
That was true for Byron Delmonico, Owner and CEO of The Riddle Room, who received the Rhode Island SBA Person of the Year award in 2022. He described the award as a trust-builder.
“The SBA award has been a great signaling device for developing all kinds of professional and business relationships centered around trust,” Bryan said. “It has opened several doors for me that I feel would not have been opened without it.”
That kind of visibility can matter for small businesses.
Recognition introduces your company to new audiences. It strengthens relationships with partners. It creates opportunities for media attention, referrals, networking, and future growth.
It can also remind owners that their work is not happening in isolation. Their business is part of a broader small business community across Rhode Island. That is affirming for many entrepreneurs.
SBA connections can lead to new growth
Some winners also discover new resources through the SBA awards process.
Jamie Mitri, Founder and President of Moss Pure, was named the 2025 SBA RI Manufacturer of the Year. She said the experience helped her better understand SBA resources and what they could make possible for her business.
“Being an SBA award winner opened my eyes to the many ways the SBA could help me grow Moss Pure,” Jamie said.
For Moss Pure, that connection became especially important as the company looked for a larger space. Jamie pursued an SBA 504 loan, was approved, and moved into a new commercial workshop in 2026.
The move changed what the business could take on.
“Without the SBA loan and our expanded production space, we wouldn’t have had the capacity to take on projects of this scale,” Jamie said. “We are now able to produce larger pieces, increase project volume, and pursue substantially bigger commercial opportunities than we could before.”
That’s an important reminder: applying for an award isn’t only about the award itself.It can also help business owners learn more about the support available around them.
Don’t let the application process stop you
The application process takes time. That’s real. But past winners encouraged other Rhode Island business owners not to let that stop them.
Jamie Mitri put it simply: “I would say: go for it. Being nominated for an SBA award is an incredible opportunity, and the application process is absolutely worth the effort.”
She also shared that the award helped Moss Pure build new relationships, gain visibility, and better understand SBA resources.
“Winning the award opened doors for Moss Pure that went far beyond the recognition itself. It created new networking opportunities, helped put our company on the map, and, most importantly, helped me develop a relationship with the SBA and better understand the resources available to help small businesses succeed.”
Gloria Chacon shared similar advice for nominated business owners.
“The application process can be long and requires time and effort, but it is absolutely worth it. Winning an SBA award can have a positive impact on your business that lasts far beyond the award itself.”
Her message to business owners is clear: “I would encourage any business owner who is nominated to take the opportunity and go for it—you never know what doors it may open.”
You can nominate another business (or yourself!)
Many business owners are comfortable celebrating someone else. They’re less comfortable putting their own name forward. SBA award nominations are meant to uncover strong stories, and that includes your own.
The SBA has previously directed nominators to its National Small Business Week page to access nomination forms, criteria, guidelines, local contacts, and award details. The SBA award categories include Small Business Person of the Year, Exporter of the Year, Small Business Manufacturer of the Year, disaster recovery awards, and federal procurement awards, among others.
If you know a Rhode Island business owner doing excellent work, consider nominating them. And if your own business has grown, adapted, created jobs, served customers well, supported the community, overcome challenges, or reached a meaningful milestone, consider nominating yourself. You could be a future SBA Award winner.
What makes a strong nomination?
A strong nomination usually does more than list achievements. It tells the story behind them.
Before applying, think through questions like:
- What problem did your business set out to solve?
- How has the business grown?
- What challenges have you overcome?
- What makes your product, service, or approach different?
- How has your business affected customers, employees, or the community?
- What are you most proud of?
- What support, partnerships, or resources helped you along the way?
- Where is the business headed next?
The SBA’s own guidance for nominations has encouraged business owners to choose the right award category, submit a complete package, explain what makes the business stand out, and describe how the business gives back to the community.
You don’t need to have the biggest business in Rhode Island to have a story worth sharing. You just need a clear story, strong examples, and the willingness to show the work behind your success.
Final thoughts: Let your story be seen
Small business owners spend so much time serving customers, managing teams, solving problems, and planning what comes next. It’s easy to move from one challenge to another without stopping to recognize the progress already made.
The SBA Awards offer a chance to pause and celebrate that progress.
As Byron Delmonico shared, “If anything the application process helps you better understand your own successes and motivators and even the process in itself is a positive experience filled with growth.”
Recognition can bring visibility, credibility, connections, and new opportunities. But it can also remind business owners that their work matters.
If you’ve been nominated, take the opportunity seriously. If you know a business worth celebrating, put their name forward. And if your own business has a story of growth, persistence, service, or impact, we encourage you to nominate yourself.
Your story may be exactly the kind the SBA Awards were created to recognize. To apply, start here.
RISBDC offers no-cost, one-on-one confidential counseling to help Rhode Island business owners plan, grow, and prepare for opportunities like SBA award nominations.
📞 Call us at (401) 874-7232
📧 Request a free meeting with an advisor
🌐 Learn more at risbdc.org
