NFIB members know better than anyone how difficult it is to
start and grow a small business. Like everyone, you might have done few things
differently now that you’re established.
But there are few things in life more rewarding than the freedom and
potential that come with being your own boss and doing what you love.
Today, many young Americans are eager to take the same path.
Some of the brightest and best have already taken a first step even before
graduating from high school.
They are high school students with ambition, creativity and
sense for business. What they need is
education and a chance to develop. You can help.
You may know that NFIB supports an educational foundation
for kids in business. Every year the NFIB
Young Entrepreneur Foundation’s (YEF) identifies outstanding high school
students in every state who run their own businesses and then awards them
college scholarships.
For more than a decade, the YEF has boosted the hopes and
dreams of rising high school student-entrepreneurs with more than 2,500 awards
totaling more than $2.5 million. In addition to the scholarships, the program
is aimed at promoting in young people an appreciation for small business and
the spirit of entrepreneurship that has propelled America since its founding.
NFIB’s Young Entrepreneur Awards program’s application will
open Oct. 1. I urge you to identify a graduating high school senior who owns
and operates his or her own small business and encourage them to apply no later
than Dec. 18. Small business ownership is a requirement, plus the nominee must indicate
plans to attend an accredited two- or four-year university, college or
vocational/technical institute during the 2015 fall session.
Perhaps you even have a potential award winner under your
own roof. Children of NFIB members are eligible for these unique scholarships
too.
Once the deadline is reached, a selection committee will
review applications and pick a group of qualified semi-finalists. If you’d like
to participate in interviewing one or several enthusiastic applicants, complete
the Nominator form available at the YEF webpage. Each applicant is required to
be nominated by an NFIB member, so volunteering your time is a crucial element
of the success of this program.
Another important action you can take to build and sustain
the ranks of tomorrow’s entrepreneurs is by sponsoring a tax-deductible Young
Entrepreneur Award. Each sponsorship of $1,000 will provide a scholarship for
one young entrepreneur in the state of your choice. The award will bear your or
your company’s name and receive broad recognition via NFIB’s website and
MyBusiness magazine.
It’s exciting to know that many of America’s youth find hope
and assurance in the practice of free enterprise. You’ve taken that path and
now you have the opportunity to share your experience with the next generation
of Main Street’s brightest and best.
Help NFIB begin the search
for America’s young entrepreneurs today.
