Another Contest for Small Businesses

The Business Breakthrough Contest from Visa offers an interesting opportunity for your business: the prize is an evaluation of your business by an expert in your field AND a package of solutions worth up to $10,000 customized for your business based on the expert's evaluation.

To enter you write, in 500 words or less, how your business could be more efficient in one of the five Business Breakthrough categories. There will be one winner in each category. Deadline is September 30.

And don't forget the UPS contest I mentioned previously, and the Ikea contest (deadline for Ikea's contest is July 26, so hurry).

Ikea - Small Businesses, Big Dreams

Sent to us from Sharon Hill, (www.workathomejob.ning.com), author and guru of all things telecommuting. Note that tho the contest is for retail locations, Ikea also offers home-based workers the chance for promotion by posting their creative solutions to common business problems:

An entire street of businesses can win a makeover in Ikea's, "Small Businesses, Big Dreams: Furnished by IKEA.” This online video contest will give a group of neighboring small businesses a dream IKEA design makeover. The contest supports camaraderie between business owners and revitalization of small town business districts by asking business owners to enter the contest on behalf of their entire business community. The contest started May 31, 2007 and will run through July 26, 2007 and site visitors are encouraged to vote for their favorite entries.

This rates as a double "real marketing" win in my book: the businesses get something they want, Ikea gets what it wants.