Entrepreneurs And Small Business Owners From Across Canada Win Entrepreneur Award On Behalf Of The Coalition To Grow Small Business.

Online, December 21, 2010 (Newswire.com) - The Committed Entrepreneur Awards (CEA) was created by the Coalition to recognize entrepreneurs across Canada who are committed to growing their businesses. The Coalition Committed to Growing Small Businesses is made up of Tier 1 corporations such as Rogers, Westjet, Staples, Hewlett-Packard, UPS, and CITI - who have partnered with Silver Lining to bring big business products and resources to the small businesses that need them. The Coalition was formed with the mandate to bring big businesses together to figuring out how to help small businesses grow.

Entrepreneurs work hard, are driven by passion and are dedicated to growth. They are building businesses with the intention of employing other people and eventually expanding beyond themselves. They are committed to persevere through hard times and are dedicated to reaching their goals. This year we are proud to honour 10 entrepreneurs who have showed the willingness and drive to keep following their dream:

Carol McBee - Bossy Mama
Clive Lobo - Spark Internet Marketing
Dawn Emson - Naughty Cookie Co.
Hailey Coleman - Damn Heels Inc.
Marc Lebert - Lebert Fitness
Martin Reid - Personal Victory
Melodie Bissell - Winning Kids
Paula Morand - JumpStart 720
Pauline Perreault - Jump Outta Bed
Sal Sloan - Fetching

The 10 winners joined Silver Lining President Carissa Reiniger on a 5-star vacation in Jamaica where they all shared personal and professional experiences on the constant struggle of running a small business. As one of the 2010 CEA winners Hailey Coleman, founder of DamnHeels.com explains, "Entrepreneurs are the most encouraging and supportive people I've ever me, (the trip) allowed me to be me. I was able to bounce ideas off the others, get referrals, and support."

Many shared stories about how struggling at first gave them the desire to overcome obstacles. Sal Sloan, who started Fetching, recounted, "I genuinely thought that because my idea was so GOOD and so relevant to the target audience (it REALLY solved a problem), that people would sign-up MUCH more easily. The reality is that I'm offering one service amidst hundreds of thousands that require money and commitment (and actual physical effort). So inherently, that prevents people from leaping. I really am consistently surprised how much work it takes to sell what I believe to be such an amazing service.

Melodie Bissell, founder of Winning Kids Inc., had this to say about what winning the award and going on the trip meant to her:

"Honestly I can't even begin to tell you! My new friends who were also recipients and my team certainly know how much more inspired I have become. I returned from Jamaica running, and haven't stopped since. I am proud of the win, and feel it has opened doors for me as I make appointments. I believe it has given me more credibility as a business owner. It has also renewed my hope that we will be really successful. I didn't realize before the trip how important networking with other Entrepreneurs could be. I am eager to talk to Entrepreneurs and share my struggles and ideas. For some time I felt alone from a strategic planning perspective. The other winners have become my sounding board, my biggest cheerleaders, and wonderful friends.

Pauline Perreault, creator of Jump Outta Bed, discussed what she enjoys about being an entrepreneur: "Running my own business allows me maximum freedom and creativity to express myself and plenty of opportunities to fail forward by learning from mistakes.

Perreault goes on to discuss the overall atmosphere being surrounded by like-minded entrepreneurs during the trip:
"There was such a trust, enthusiasm and dedication to truly listen to each other's ideas and offer suggestions, contacts and support. Having been a part of various networking groups and being familiar with the process, I had never experienced such a rewarding environment - the passion everyone had for their business was only surpassed by the passion and dedication they had to help the rest of the group reach the next level of success.

Marc Lebert, founder his own fitness company, summed up his experience winning the CEA award: "It has been a amazing ride from getting votes to meeting and getting to know an amazing group of peers (which I am so happy we still meet) and I was really blown away by Carissa and her insights, abilities, story and willingness to see us be successful!"

The Coalition Committed to growing small business will be announcing its 2011 program early in the New Year and looks forward to connecting with more passionate entrepreneurs. The Coalition would like to thank each & every entrepreneur who applied for the Committed Entrepreneur Award in 2010.

The Coalition: Committed to Growing Small Business
-------------------------------------------------
The goal of the Coalition is to use the combined resources of all partner companies to bring the best opportunities to the small business space and to bridge the gap between small and big business - whereby both parties actively learn more about each other and try to support each other. The Coalition facilitates small and big businesses collaborating to create resources for small businesses that reflect the collective knowledge of both entrepreneurs and corporations.

For further information: To set-up an interview with Carissa Reiniger of Silver Lining Ltd. or any Coalition Partners please contact Alistair Leyland at (416) 850-4859 or by email at [email protected]