Small business owners are largely seen as the ones who can help to bring us out of the economic crisis.  Women entrepreneurs are an important factor in that group’s success.  A New York non-profit,  Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence, has been contributing to the success of women-owned small businesses for years and now their help may be more important than ever.  They are the group behind the business growth competition, Make Mine a Million $ Business.

With a grand prize of $100,000 and a year’s worth of advertising opportunities, the Make Mine a Million $ Business RACE (M3 RACE) is a competition to inspire women entrepreneurs to reach revenue goals.  It does this by providing personalized business assessment and revenue tracking tools; quick and easy networking; sales, marketing and promotional opportunities; and the chance to win the grand prize. The thousands of participants who don’t win the grand prize stand to meet their own financial goals for their business, which is its own reward.

According to the 2009 Make Mine a Million $ Business Website, for a $100 entry fee into the race, participants receive:

• Online business assessment tool to help you identify where your business stands and what you need to reach your 2009 goal
• Your own personalized Dashboard for easy tracking of your strategic to-do list, short-term goals and current revenues
• Increased exposure to potential customers seeking your goods or services
• Three national events featuring intensive workshops and competitions for prizes to enhance your business or improve your work-life balance
• Opportunities to reach new national markets with partners like American Express OPEN, Reader’s Digest, Dell, FedEx and Sam’s Club
• Promotion of you and your business through local and national television, newspapers, magazines, radio and blogs
• Prizes and national recognition for crossing your personal finish line, as well as the chance to win our Grand Prize of $100,000 cash for your business.

Registration and additional information is available at www.makemineamillion.org.  The contest runs through the end of the year.