Baltimore – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 2018 Maryland Small Business Person of the Year is Tamara Beideman, Owner of Sweet Elizabeth Jane in Ellicott City, Md. Founded in 2011, Sweet Elizabeth Jane offers home décor, apparel, accessories and gifts.
Beideman faced 2016’s “thousand-year storm” that dropped six inches of rain in 90 minutes, whisking away merchandise, fixtures and even the cash register. That beating would have put many entrepreneurs on the ropes, but not Beideman. With the help of SBA disaster recovery loans and other services she rallied to rebuild and came back better than ever.
“Tammy’s perseverance and resourcefulness following the disaster are inspiring,” Baltimore District Director Stephen D. Umberger said. “She’s survived the worst and come back with record-breaking sales and is putting more Marylanders back to work.”
SBA’s Small Business Person of the Year award – part of National Small Business Week April 29-May 5, 2018 – recognizes small business owners who demonstrate staying power and substantiated history as an established business with at least three years of business operation. Winners must also show growth in net worth and business expansion, increase in jobs and sales, innovativeness of products or services, response to adversity and contributions to community-oriented projects.
“We’re proud of all our National Small Business Week winners; they exemplify the American entrepreneurial spirit,” said SBA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Michelle Christian. “Ms. Beideman is very deserving of this award. Congratulations!”
Small Business Person of the Year winners from 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam converge in Washington, D.C. April 29-30 where one of them will be selected as the National Small Business Person of the Year.
A celebration honoring local SBA winners from Maryland and the SBA Baltimore District – which serves all of Maryland with exception of Prince George’s and Montgomery counties – is June 7. Other SBA local awards recognized at the celebration include Exporter of the Year, Home-Based Small Business of the Year, Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year, Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year, Minority-Owned Small Business of the Year, Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Rising Star Student Entrepreneur of the Year, Insurance Advocate, Accountant Advocate, Attorney Advocate, Financial Services Champion and the District Director’s Unsung Hero.
Each year since 1963, the President has issued a proclamation calling for the celebration of National Small Business Week. SBA recognizes outstanding small business owners for their personal successes and contributions to our nation. For more information about National Small Business Week, visit www.sba.gov/nsbw.
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) was created in 1953 and since January 13, 2012 has served as a Cabinet-level agency of the federal government to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation. The SBA helps Americans start, build and grow businesses. Through an extensive network of field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations, the SBA delivers its services to people throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam. For more information visit www.sba.gov.
About the SBA Baltimore District Office:
The SBA Baltimore District serves the state of Maryland with the exception of Prince George’s counties. Visit www.sba.gov/md or follow @SBA_Baltimore or @SBAmidatlantic for more information including resource partners, lenders, workshops, success stories and other resources to help business start, grow and succeed.