Applications are accepted on an on-going basis for "Small Business, Large Business and Non-Profit Organization of the Month." Award recipients will be announced at the monthly Chamber Membership Breakfast and will be given a moment to speak about their business. Being selected as a Small Business of the Month makes the business eligible for the "Small Busienss of the Year" award to be presented during the Chamber's Annual Dinner each January. Review the Guidelines below and submit the Nomination Form. During 2011 there will be six Small Business, two large Business and three Non-Profit Organizations awarded.

Anyone may nominate a Business or Organization -- Chamber Members, Chamber Employees, City or County Employees, other Business Owners and Business Customers. The Business Council will review the nominations each month and select a winner. Nominations must be received at the Chamber Office no later than the 15th of each month for the following month.

Guidelines and Nomination Form

The Sponsoring Business for the Small Business of the Month Program is Julia Jorns, CPA, LLC

From the very first days of the committee's efforts it became clear that a Resource Guide for Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners would be one of the cornerstone products of the program. The first version was delivered to the Department of Economic Development certification committee and the community on March 11, 2008. The Resource Guide is intended to assist aspiring entrepreneurs as well as established businesses. The information compiled runs the gamut from "How do I get a Business License?" to "Who at the state level can assist me with international trade?"
It is the intent of the committee to constantly update the Guide as new information and resources become available. The current version of the Guide is available free to the public either on a CD or as an Adobe Acrobat PDF file that can be downloaded from this website. In order to gain a better understanding of how the Guide is used and to allow follow-up for suggested changes, we request that you complete the following short form. Once you submit the form, you will be able to download the Guide. We encourage you to submit proposed changes to the Guide based on your experience using it.

Community Bank of Pickens County
Don Martin-Torrey Mountain Properties
ETC Communications
Jasper Banking Company

Small Business Counseling -FREE
The Dalton Small Business Development Center provides confidential business consulting and technical assistance to small business owners and future entrepreneurs.  Business consulting is offered at the Chamber by appointment.  A variety of training programs both in the classroom and online are also offered.  Visit the SBDC website for information on services offered by the SBDC including, free business counseling, answer questions many new and current business owners have, as well as business workshops offered at a nominal cost.

To schedule an appointment to meet with the SBDC, contact the Chamber of Commerce.