Intuit Announces Judges for National Competition

Small Business United Program Gives Entrepreneurs Chance to Win Up to $30,000

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif . – America’s entrepreneurs have the chance to win $30,000 in business grants, plus free financial software and services, by sharing their stories and advice for other small businesses as part of Intuit Inc.’s Small Business United grant competition. Grants totaling $315,000 will be awarded to 50 entrepreneurs, giving them the extra boost needed in the tough economic climate.

Judges for the competition, announced today, include a panel of independent small business experts:

* Anita Campbell, CEO of Small Business Trends, an award-winning Web site that provides information and intelligence about the small business market and business trends affecting that market. This comprehensive resource includes a blog, radio show and regularly features small business experts from a variety of industries.
* Donna Ettenson, vice president of operations of the Association of Small Business Development Centers, which represents 63 state and regional small business management and technical assistance programs. She is also a certified Franklin Covey facilitator for the “7 Habits for Managers” and “Focus” workshops.
* John Jantsch, marketing and digital technology coach, award-winning social media publisher and author of “Duct Tape Marketing: The World’s Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide.” He is the creator of the Duct Tape Marketing small business marketing system and Duct Tape Marketing Authorized Coach Network.
* Becky McCray, publisher of Small Biz Survival, a Web site about small business and rural issues, based on her own successes and failures as an entrepreneur. She is also the co-owner of a retail store and cattle ranch, and a consultant for small businesses and city governments.

Small Business United Grant Competition Details

To enter the Small Business United grant competition, entrepreneurs can go to www.smallbusinessunited.com to share stories about their successes and challenges. A recent Intuit study found that nine out of 10 small business owners rely on their peers for support and advice.

In addition to the monetary grants and free Intuit products and services that Intuit is offering, entrants will also receive the Intuit Small Business Word of Mouth Marketing Toolkit and a profile page on the Intuit Community Web site to help promote their business.

Finalists will be selected based on a combination of ratings from the community, quality and creativity. The ratings will account for 40 percent of the overall score, so easy-to-use tools are available to help participants share their entries with family, friends and colleagues.

Judges will begin reviewing the submissions on March 24 and select 50 finalists to receive a $5,000 grant and a Pure Digital Flip Video™ camcorder. These finalists are then eligible to compete for the top grants by supplementing their story with a video that will be posted on the site for public viewing and rating.

The group will be narrowed down to four first prize winners, who will each receive $10,000 plus $2,500 worth of Intuit products in addition to their finalist grants and awards. The grand prize winner will receive an additional $25,000 and $2,500 worth of Intuit products and services.

Entries are due by March 23 and finalists will be notified by April 1. Winners will be announced in May 2009.