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The 2026 Small Biz Challenge

Entries for The UPS Store® Small Biz Challenge are now closed, stay tuned for the announcement of our nine semi-finalists!

Our semi-finalists will compete to win a trip to Nashville, Tennessee, a share of the total prize pool of up to $35,000 to grow your small business, and a feature in Inc. magazine.

Phases of the Small Biz Challenge

Phase 1 [Now Closed]: From January 12th through February 22nd, eligible small business owners can enter the 2026 The UPS Store® Small Biz Challenge.

Current Phase
Phase 2: The UPS Store, Inc., and Inc. Business Media will review all online submissions and select the nine semi-finalists. Each semi-finalist will be partnered with mentors who will help provide motivation and entrepreneurial advice as they compete in the next phase of the Small Biz Challenge. The nine semi-finalists, together with their mentors, will compete in various challenges. These may range from a variety of common skills and know-how needed to run a successful small business, such as marketing, staffing, operations, and company culture.

Voting Phase: After each challenge, the nine semi-finalists, alongside their entrepreneurial mentors, will share their answers for the public to view and cast votes.

Final Phase: The top three contestants will travel to a live event in Nashville to present in front of a panel of guest judges. A winner will be announced and given the ultimate prize plus an editorial feature in an upcoming issue of Inc. magazine.

The 2025 Small Biz Challenge Winners: 

Sydney Attis and Mikayla Garcia of Just Call Me Shirley

The winner of the 2025 Small Biz Challenge was Sydney Attis and Mikayla Garcia, owners of Just Call Me Shirley! Sydney and Mikayla were awarded the ultimate prize of $25,000 plus an editorial feature in an issue of Inc. magazine. Our finalists, Youngwon Lee and Amanda Wynkoop, each received $5,000.

Watch the 2025 Small Biz Challenge recap below and follow The UPS Store on Instagram to catch highlights and other small business advice and inspiration from the competition.

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