Attention artisans and those who love them! The Indie Business Network is a community of artisans united by a powerful bond of tenacity, creativity, and innovation. The 2016 Artisan Entrepreneur of the Year Awards fully articulate that bond by providing a way for the artisanal community and their customers and clients to celebrate and reward the next generation of game-changing artisan entrepreneurs in the US and Canada. Submit your nominations in up to six categories using the form at the bottom of this page.
But first, know why we are doing this, and how it works. (It's easy, I promise!)
Why Artisan Entrepreneurs? Why Awards?
The last decade has seen a re-emergence of artisans as an economic force. Not only are they making wonderful products, they are plying their trade on their own terms and creating entirely new lives for themselves based on selling products they make with their own hands.
They do not rely on big box stores to get their products into the hands of consumers. They make a living solely on their skilled craftsmanship and the determination and fortitude required to fully embrace entrepreneurship. They defy the stereotypical statement that entrepreneurship is not for everyone.
Whether you call them Makers, Handmade Entrepreneurs, Artisans or something else, they are not only shaping their own futures, they are shaping the future of their local communities, our nation, and the world. They are redefining the market for consumer products across all areas: personal care, home decor, fashion and accessories, food, fragrance and more.
Artisan Entrepreneurs are single-handedly reversing a hundred years of standardized manufacturing practices. By turning away from mass production methods and assembly lines, they are feeding the demands of a market place that is increasingly hungry for customized and niche products that meet both pragmatic and emotional needs.
I founded the Indie Business Network on the principle that no woman would ever have to rely on a third party (human or otherwise) to provide for herself and her children. That vision has come to pass.
As the Indie Business Network approaches its 17th year, now is the time for an award that allows artisans and their customers and clients to nominate and vote in six categories that uniquely reflect the creativity and innovative spirit of the Artisan Entrepreneur:
• artisan product(s)
• product photography
• Instagram imagery
• inspiring storytelling
• website user experience
• community engagement and customer service
There is no panel of judges. A winner in each category will be announced based on the number of times they were nominated by their peers and customers in that category.
How to Make Your Nominate Your Choice 2016 Artisan Entrepreneur Of The Year
Use the form below to nominate your choice for 2016 Artisan Entrepreneur of the Year. You may nominate an artisan in several categories, or just one or two categories. Either way, a separate nomination form must be made for each. (For example, if you wish to nominate the same company for all six categories, six separate nominations — one for each category — must be submitted.) Do not nominate the same artisan in the same category more than once, as the duplicate nomination will not be counted.
You may nominate yourself, or you may ask a colleague or customer to nominate you.
You may nominate an Artisan Entrepreneur in the US or in Canada. Nominations for artisans located in other countries will not be counted.
Artisan Entrepreneurs, whether or not they are IBN members, can be nominated.
Deadlines
The deadline to submit nominations is Friday, December 16, 2016 Sunday, December 18, 2016 (extended due to holiday time!).
Finalists will be announced on the week of Monday, December 19, 2016.
A winner in all six categories, based on the number of nominations received, will be announced shortly after the New Year.
Winners will be featured throughout the Indie Business Network community, and have the opportunity to share their stories and advice far and wide.