There are three upcoming contests I’d like to encourage you to join.

If you’re thinking of starting a business or want to find a way to share your ideas with people who will help you, please join Make Mine a Million, Make your Dreams Come True with Mirassou, and the Stevie Awards.

Make Mine a Million $ Business www.makemineamillion.org is a project by Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence, which provides two “tracks”: the Make Mine a Million (TM) program, which provides access to money, mentoring, marketing and technology tools that women entrepreneurs need to help grow their businesses, as well as the Micro to Millions (TM) program to help women microentrepreneurs grow and build sustainable enterprises, create jobs and develop innovative products and services.

The website offers videos from past winners and an application form where you may apply: by applying, you commit to growing your business (or planned business) into a million-dollar business. There is also an e-newsletter, an online community, and an events calendar.

I highly recommend you consider applying, because there is always a need for women and for women of color in particular to be a visible and to be a part of these types of initiatives.

Mirassou www.mirassou.com/women_in_business/dreams.asp has been a longtime supporter of women-owned businesses over the past three years, and they’ve created the “Make Your Dreams Come True with Mirassou” contest. This contest provides $50,000 in seed money to help start a “Dream” business. The site offers a number of free resources as well as the application itself. You may also read stories of past winners.

Mirassou understands that obtaining capital is the No. 1 obstacle women face in starting their own businesses, so new women in business are invited to apply online at the Mirassou site (if you submit by December 15, 2007, you get a chance to win $50,000 or a Talbots shopping spress). The “Make Your Dreams Come True with Mirassou” contest is open to women who aspire to open a new business. To enter, applicants must be new in business. They must submit a personal essay of 500 words or less describing themselves and why they think they would make a successful entrepreneur. A preliminary business plan will also be required and should include: 1) a description of the new business, 2) the consumer appeal to the new business, and 3) a plan to implement the new business.

Finally, the Stevie Awards www.stevieawards.com for Women in Business are an excellent way to raise your profile and participate in a national contest.

The Stevie Awards were created to honor and generate public recognition of the efforts, accomplishments, and positive contributions of companies and business people worldwide. The Stevie Awards for Women in Business began in 2004, and the overall Stevie Awards have a mission to “raise the profile of exemplary companies and individuals among the press, the business community, and the general public.” The New York Post called the Stevies “the business world’s own Oscar Awards.”