It’s no small thing to run a small business, so in honor of Small Business Week this coming May, NAWBO National has launched a “No Small Thing” video contest and is calling for women small business owners to submit 2-minute or less videos highlighting the “one thing that’s contributed most to your success as a small business.”
Five video contest winners will be announced during Small Business Week when NAWBO National will feature one winner per day through daily e-blasts as well as website and social media posts. They will also be invited to sit on a breakout session panel at NAWBO’s annual Women’s Business Conference, September 18-20 in Columbus, Ohio. One top winner will also receive complimentary conference registration and be invited on stage and publicly honored on September 19.
Also, as an exclusive benefit to all NAWBO members who participate, we’ll share your videos on the NAWBO National Facebook and Twitter pages as they are submitted and approved for sharing during the month of April.
If you are eligible and have a best practice to share, enter your video today! See below for details!
CONTEST OVERVIEW & RULES
ELIGIBILITY: The NAWBO Small Business Week Contest is open only to women-owned small businesses that were founded and are headquartered in the United States. No purchase of a NAWBO membership is necessary. A NAWBO membership does not increase your chances of being featured in contest communications or winning. Must be 18 years of age or older at the time of entry to enter. The following are not eligible: members of the NAWBO National board of directors who might otherwise qualify, and small businesses involved in judging or communicating the contest and its winners.
OVERVIEW: The contest will be held as follows:
- April 1, 2016, 9 a.m. ET: Contest launch
- April 1-30, 2016: Women business owners with qualifying small businesses can submit video entries highlighting the “one thing that’s contributed most to your success as a small business.”
- April 30, 2016, 11:59 p.m. ET: Contest closes
- May 1, 2016: Video selection (a panel of NAWBO National team members will review all submissions and choose the Top 5 videos from all entrants based on which ones feature content that is unique and will potentially have the most impact on the success of other women small business owners).
- May 2-6, 2016: NAWBO will announce winners, featuring one winner a day Monday-Friday during Small Business Week. Announcements will occur via NAWBO daily e-blast, website posts and social media posts. Winning videos will also be shared with NAWBO media partners for potentially sharing with their audiences. The top 5 finalists may submit a 1/2 page ad in this years National Women’s Conference Program book. ad must be submitted by July 15, 2016. If you are a NAWBO member and your video is selected, you have an opportunity to sit on a breakout session panel at NAWBO’s annual Women’s Business Conference, September 18-20 in Columbus, OH.
- September 18-20, 2016: The same panel of NAWBO National team members will select a winning video from the Top 5 finalists. This one winner will receive a complimentary registration to the NAWBO Women’s Business Conference, September 18-20 in Columbus, OH, where she will be invited on stage and publicly honored on September 19. This one winner will also be featured in an article in NAWBO’s monthly e-publication (August, September or October issue; exact timing to be determined).
SUBMISSION CRITERIA & PROCESS: All contest submissions must:
- Be original for this contest.
- Not infringe on any third-party rights (logos, music, intellectual property, etc.).
- Not include any third parties, including minors, celebrities and friends, who have not expressly authorized the entrant to display his/her image or likeness in a submitted video.
- Be 2 minutes in length or less.
- Be in English.
- Be submitted to [email protected].
- Include entrant’s contact information: Name, company name, city, state, website, e-mail and phone number. Also, include your NAWBO chapter if you are a member.
- Include or attach (as a Word document) a 100-word write-up about the company and video topic.
- Be posted to a personal or company YouTube Channel. Please provide the video link with your submission.
WINNER NOTIFICATION: All winners will be notified by e-mail to the e-mail address provided with submission. The winner of the complimentary conference registration will be notified by phone and assisted with registration details.
TIPS FOR MAKING A GREAT YOUTUBE VIDEO:
- You don’t need to hire a professional. A homemade quality video can work great. But plan ahead and shoot several takes to get it right.
- Think short. Although YouTube will accept videos that are as long as 10 minutes, try to make the video between 30 seconds and 2 minutes. (2 MINUTES IS MAX FOR THIS CONTEST)
- Higher resolution equals higher quality. Record in the 4:3 standard format or 16:9 widescreen format. If you can record your video in high definition (1280×720 pixels), do it. Also, aim for good audio sound. Capture the best you can with the equipment you have.
- Use sufficient lighting. People need to see you and what you are doing/talking about. The more light, the better. Also, having more than one light source will help alleviate shadows.
- Think about what’s behind you before you hit the record button. It’s very difficult to take someone seriously if behind them is, for instance, junk scattered all over a desk.
- Also, think about your clothes, hair and make-up. Use powder and make-up that look natural and reduce shine. Make sure your hair is styled off and away from your face so it looks professional and doesn’t cast shadows. For clothing, consider wearing pants with a long hem versus a skirt or dress. Also, stay away from sleeveless tops that draw attention away from the face.
- Try to have as much of a personality on camera as possible to come across well. Be energetic, and let the real you shine through.
- Practice by recording sample videos, and then share them with friends and family for feedback. If you’re still unsure, try recording the same video three times. Watch each take and select the one you like most.
- Stay on topic, and try not to ramble. Only say what’s absolutely necessary to get your point across on camera.
- You don’t need to edit to make a great video. You may have to shoot take after take to get it right, but when you’re finished, you won’t have anything to edit!