A New Kind of Stimulus Plan: Entrepreneur Magazine’s Entrepreneur of 2009 Contest Presented By the UPS Store

$2,500 Prize at Stake for New College Category

IRVINE, Calif., March 24 /PRNewswire/ — – With the economy in a slump, consumer optimism down and unemployment on the rise, there’s one bright spot for entrepreneurs everywhere — Entrepreneur magazine’s Entrepreneur of 2009 contest presented by The UPS Store(R) – which is now accepting entries. Entrepreneur wants to know what small-business owners are doing to make an impact on their industries, employees and communities.

Entrepreneur of 2009 and Emerging Entrepreneur of 2009 Categories

Businesses with no more than 100 employees and gross sales revenue of at least $3 million in 2008 will qualify for the Entrepreneur of 2009 award. The Emerging Entrepreneur of 2009 is open to companies that have been in business for less than four years with no more than ten employees and posted at least $500,000 in gross sales revenue for 2008. Entrepreneurs can submit their entries and, as an added bonus, simultaneously promote their businesses online to thousands of Web visitors at www.entrepreneur.com/e2009.

College Entrepreneur of 2009 Category

This all-new category gives college students with the entrepreneurial fever a chance to pitch their business ideas for a shot at $2,500 in startup capital. Interested college students should visit www.entrepreneur.com/e2009college to view a video message from Amy Cosper, VP/editor in chief at Entrepreneur, on how to enter. Entrants must be undergraduate students between the ages of 18 and 25 during the time of submission.

“At an unfortunate time when colossal enterprises are enlisting for outside help to survive, entrepreneurs are taking action on their own to positively impact the success of their employees and their communities with their ventures,” says Cosper. “The tremendous power of the small-business market is what generates 60 to 80 percent of the net new jobs annually and creates more than half of private nonfarm GDP. These facts simply emphasize the tremendous importance of supporting this community here and now, amid many economic challenges.”

An expert panel of judges will choose the finalists, including representatives from Entrepreneur‘s editorial department and Mail Boxes Etc., Inc. (MBE), franchisor of The UPS Store. The panel’s decision will be based on several criteria, including business growth in terms of number of employees and annual gross sales revenue as well as impact on an industry, the community, employees and customers.

“Now more than ever, small-business owners are the force needed to help rebuild the American economy,” says Stuart Mathis, president of MBE. ‘Our franchisees are small-business owners themselves as are many of our customers. We look forward to continuing to support the entrepreneurial community through the Entrepreneur of 2009 search.”

In addition to the start-up capital for the College Entrepreneur of 2009, all three winning entrepreneurs will receive two roundtrip tickets within the continental U.S., a profile in the January 2010 issue of Entrepreneur magazine and be honored at an awards luncheon and ceremony in January 2010 in Miami, Fla. The winners will also receive a gift certificate for $500 in free services at The UPS Store, a three-year subscription to Entrepreneur magazine and a selection of Entrepreneur Press books.

Entry criteria and the complete rules can be found on www.entrepreneur.com/e2009/rules, or for the college contest, visit www.entrepreneur.com/e2009college. The deadline to enter is June 15, 2009.

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About The UPS Store

The UPS Store retail locations are franchised by Mail Boxes Etc., Inc., a UPS subsidiary. Together The UPS Store and Mail Boxes Etc. locations comprise the world’s largest franchise network of retail shipping, postal and business service centers, with more than 6,000 locations around the world. In the United States, The UPS Store and Mail Boxes Etc. locations are independently owned and operated by licensed franchisees of Mail Boxes Etc., Inc. Outside the United States, locations are owned and operated by MBE master licensees or their franchisees. For additional information, please visit www.theupsstore.com or www.mbe.com.

SOURCE Entrepreneur Media Inc.