Award Them

1 mom (‘mäm): noun—short form for mother

1 entrepreneur (‘äⁿn-trə-p(r)ə-n(y)ur): noun—one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise

Two important enough words on their own but bring them together to make ‘Mom Entrepreneur’ and you have a term that is now an inspiration for moms who want to have it all and do it all, moms who are actively balancing the role of mom and the role of entrepreneur—all on their own terms. And today we’re here to celebrate those moms across Canada who have started their own businesses after having children, inspired by their experiences as a mother and their desire to create a career for themselves that accommodates their families’ needs as well.

We know (because we’re mom entrepreneurs ourselves) that being a mom entrepreneur can be a life of endless reward…but it can also be a life of endless hard work. And since running your own business usually means you don’t have a boss to give you a pat on the back for all your accomplishments, we’re once again celebrating Canada’s mom entrepreneurs. We’re patting them on the back for their great ideas and passion for what they do with the 2009 SavvyMom Mom Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

In 2008, 350 mom-run companies were nominated and discovered by you, our readers, who ultimately named Martha Scully, of Canadiansitter.ca, Canada’s top Mom Entrepreneur, joining our national winners from 2007, the team from Mabel’s Labels. This year, our national winner will be rewarded with a $15,500 prize package of cash and business advisory services designed to help take her business to the next level.

So if you’re a mom entrepreneur, don’t be shy—nominate yourself now! And for the rest of our readers—support mom entrepreneurs by browsing the contest site and voting for your favourites—you can post comments on their inspiration walls too. We’ve got 80 great prizes courtesy of Starrytime Keepsakes, Mabel’s Labels and Joe Fresh Style to be won, just for voting!

It’s a celebration of moms who dare to dream big. And that’s the word.

Visit www.momentrepreneuraward.com for all the details on nominations, prizes and voting.