Small Business Success Stories

Small Business Excellence Award

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Small Business Excellence Award Salutes Companies' Innovative Use of Technology

Small businesses that are using technology to level the playing field against their larger competitors should take note: Dell and the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) are on the lookout for you.

In its fourth year, Dell and NFIB are seeking small businesses using technology in innovative ways to reward with the 2007 Small Business Excellence Award.

"From improving customer service and increasing productivity to streamlining operations and boosting competitiveness, technology is enabling countless small businesses to not just survive - but thrive - in even the most competitive markets," said Tom West, director for Dell Small and Medium Business. "We not only look forward to hearing the success stories of these extraordinary companies, but also to rewarding the most innovative firms for their extraordinary efforts."

The Small Business Excellence Award winner will receive $30,000 in Dell technology and services, a lifetime membership in the NFIB, and full day of best-practice sharing with key Dell executives, including Frank Muehleman, general manager of Dell's Small Business division, and Chairman Michael Dell, at Dell's global headquarters in Round Rock, Texas. In addition, nine finalists each will win a Dell Latitude^TM notebook and a one-year membership to NFIB.

"We're more excited than ever about the Small Business Excellence Award because it confirms the myriad ways small businesses are making greater use of technology to grow their businesses - and as a result, to grow the U.S. economy," said Todd Stottlemyer, NFIB's president and CEO.

This year's winner will have a tough act to follow. Megan Duckett, founder and president of Sew What? Inc., won the 2006 award for dramatically growing her custom theatrical drapery manufacturing firm using search engine optimization.

"I never dreamed that the tiny business I started on my kitchen table would grow into the global business we have today," Duckett said, who came to the United States from Australia at the age of 19 to pursue a career as a theater technician. "It took establishing a creative, information-driven Web presence to help us reach customers beyond our local community and provide customer service that wouldn't have been possible otherwise."

After losing a potential client who told her that because her company lacked a website, it also lacked credibility, Duckett unleashed the power of technology to build a unique website for Sew What?. With infrastructure and support from Dell that allows her to easily refresh and refine the website, Duckett has seen her business grow from a part-time endeavor into a global company that counts Sting, Madonna, Gucci and Rolling Stone among its clients.

As do most other small-business owners, Duckett puts an enormous amount of physical and emotional energy into her work.

"Winning this award is so flattering on a personal level," she said. "This business is ingrained in every cell of my body, and to have someone saying, 'Good job,' well, in small business, nobody ever says that to you."

Winning the 2006 Small Business Excellence Award, Duckett was the latest addition to a list of innovative business owners that includes:

2005 Winner: Dr. Timothy Kriss. A neurosurgeon in rural Kentucky, Kriss was frustrated by the inefficiencies he saw while working in a large medical practice. To end his frustration, Kriss left the practice to start his own specialty medical office that in many ways is a throwback to the days when doctors made house calls. In Kriss' way of thinking, patients living in rural areas should not have to travel long distances and wait hours to see a doctor. Instead, Kriss created a mobile medical clinic that allowed him to travel to and treat his patients.

Although Kriss' mobile clinic often heads into remote areas, it is anything but isolated from the rest of the world. Thanks to technology, the doctor has access to more than 5,000 electronic medical records stored on two Dell notebook computers. He also uses voice recognition software to deliver real-time medical records and diagnosis during appointments. In addition, he has an established relationship with the regional medical center, if surgery is necessary for his patients.

"This mobile technology enables me to have a very different business model - a low-volume, low-overhead, efficient practice that allows me to be an old-fashioned doctor who takes his time with his patients," he said.
2004 Winner: Donald A. Gardner Architects, Inc. In an industry where the Web is not widely used, Donald A Gardner Architects, Inc. of Greenville, South Carolina, decided to break the mold. A second-generation, family-owned business with more than 60 employees, Gardner Architects offers award-winning pre-designed residential plans, modification services and technical support for builders, developers and designers. To improve its competitiveness and expand the company's customer base, Gardner Architects created a user-friendly website that allows the company to easily communicate with customers and prospects.

"Having the right technology in place has made all the difference in the success of our company," said Angela Santerini, president of Donald A. Gardner Architects, Inc. "Winning this award from Dell and NFIB not only allowed us to host our website in house and upgrade our operating systems, but also taught us about operational efficiencies and ideas for our continued business growth."

Established in 2004 by Dell and NFIB, the Small Business Excellence Award honors small businesses that instill the spirit of innovation and apply information technology to help improve the customer experience. Entrants must be a small business with 100 or fewer employees. Each must show how it has used information technology to drive a significant change or develop a competitive advantage in delivering superior customer value and experience. For a complete description of the criteria, rules and regulations, and to get an application, visit www.dell.com/ceaward.

Submissions will be accepted online through March 30, 2007. No purchase or entry fee is required. Finalists will be announced on May 1, 2007, and the winner be named on June 4, 2007.

To view videos about each of the award winners, go to www.dell.com/studiodell.