29 January 2024
Savvy Small Business Owners Invited to Compete in the 2024 The UPS Store® Small Biz Challenge
Call for entries welcomes entrepreneurs to showcase their creativity and skills for an opportunity to win a share of the total prize pool of up to $35,000 at the final competition in Miami
SAN DIEGO (January 29, 2024) – Calling all small business owners! The UPS Store, Inc., the world’s largest franchisor of retail shipping, postal, print and business service centers, and Inc. Business Media are collaborating to find the country’s most unstoppable small business owners through an inspiring and thrilling national business competition.
In this year’s The UPS Store® Small Biz Challenge, entrepreneurs from across retail and service sectors are invited to enter their small business or entrepreneurial venture to compete to win a trip to Miami, Florida and a share of the total prize pool of up to $35,000 to grow their small business. The winner will also be featured in Inc. magazine.
With more than 5,200 independently owned and operated franchise locations across the United States, The UPS Store network understands the tenacity and knowledge needed to run a small business. The UPS Store Small Biz Challenge began in 2019 and the engaging competition seeks out and rewards the best and brightest participating small business owners. During National Small Business Month in May, the contest finalists will showcase their small business smarts and experience in front of a live audience in Miami.
“Each year, this competition presents exhilarating and interactive ways for The UPS Store to support and showcase small business owners and entrepreneurs from across the nation,” said Michelle Van Slyke, senior vice president of marketing and sales at The UPS Store, Inc. “This year’s competition returns even bigger and better to help small business owners grow and hone their skill set, find customized solutions to complex challenges, and ultimately be unstoppable.”
The 2024 The UPS Store® Small Biz Challenge is now open for submissions. Here's how to enter:
Phase 1: From now through March 8, eligible small business owners can enter the 2024 The UPS Store® Small Biz Challenge by completing a short, online entry form at inc.com/theupsstore.
Phase 2: The UPS Store, Inc., and Inc. Business Media will review all online submissions and select the nine semifinalists. Each semifinalist will be partnered with a mentor who will help provide motivation and entrepreneurial advice as they compete in the next phase of the Small Biz Challenge.
The nine semifinalists, together with their individual mentor, 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. The public voting phase will run from April 8 to 26 and will determine the three final contestants.
Final Phase: The top three contestants will travel to a final event in Miami on May 16 to present in front of a celebrity host and guest judges. A winner will be announced and given the ultimate prize plus an editorial feature in an upcoming issue of Inc. magazine.
The UPS Store, Inc., encourages small business owners from all 50 states and the District of Columbia to participate in this challenge. For full official rules and guidelines on how to enter The UPS Store® Small Biz Challenge, visit www.inc.com/theupsstore/rules.
RULES & REGULATIONS:
No purchase necessary. U.S. residents only, 18+, who own & operate an independent (non-franchised) small business in the U.S. Entry submissions end 11:59pm ET 3/8/2024. Up to nine semi-finalists selected to compete in virtual challenges and voting. Three finalists awarded trip to Miami (restrictions apply) to compete in judged live challenges. Cash prizes awarded to up to 3 finalists based on score in finals in Miami. Void where prohibited. Visit inc.com/theupsstore/rules for complete official rules, including eligibility and judging criteria. Sponsored by The UPS Store, Inc., 6060 Cornerstone Court West, San Diego, CA 92121 and Mansueto Ventures LLC, d.b.a. Inc. Magazine, 250 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10007. Copyright ©2024 The UPS Store, Inc. All rights reserved.
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