Manatee’s prized jewels: Our small businesses

“If one advances confidently in the direction of his/her dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” This was written 155 years ago by Henry David Thoreau.

“When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn,” by Harriet Beecher Stowe in the 1800s.

The above “pearls of wisdom” all typify our winners this year. They also describe so many of the finalists. We are celebrating our 30th year since the Small Business Awards began. The traditional 30-year symbol is a pearl; modern day it is diamonds.

Defining success and the qualities of our winners are best determined by looking at these two symbols and their meanings.

Pearls are precious, sought after gems, but as the sages say wisdom is even more precious. One has to be wise to run a business well. Businesses have to find precious items of significant value or desired services to be successful. Pearls come in many types and sizes as do businesses. They also may have to adapt to the environment by changing colors as our economy forces businesses to adapt.

The same holds true to a diamond’s value. They are also the hardest of gemstones and represent constancy and eternity. Our winners this year exercise perseverance, diversification and are “prized jewels.” They come in different colors, shapes and sizes, again, just like a business.

The Manatee Chamber of Commerce is proud to promote and honor our small businesses for their excellence and overall contribution to the community. Now in its 30th year, the Small Business of the Year Awards remains one of the chamber’s prized programs. The awards go to nominated companies based on strong customer service, profitability, staying power in a competitive and changing marketplace, employee enrichment and overall contribution to the community. Responding to adversity also is taken into consideration. So many outstanding businesses are nominated for this award each and every year.

We have continued to raise the bar as competition increases and new markets are created in this down but yet recovering economy. This year we have created a new award that I will explain later.

To look back over the winners from the last 30 years is value personified. They are winners, certainly, but let us not forget the hundreds of exemplary winners in each category. A tough job for the judges, indeed. And judging becomes more challenging every year as we evaluate candidates as objectively as possible.

As we have learned over the years, the companies that are the winners and those that come back and are interviewed more than once, learn from the experience. They can handle downturns in the economy and being turned down by our judges. Adversity can sometimes be a blessing in disguise and can harden businesses to market fluctuations. Clearly being a diamond in the rough is a tougher act to be seen in today’s economy.