“Valpak is committed to moving businesses forward, and with the Dough to Grow Award, we’re proving it. This embodies Valpak’s core mission of supporting local businesses to help them grow,” said Michael Vivio, president of Cox Target Media, providers of Valpak. “We’re excited to hear from businesses  who are the backbone of communities across North America. We also encourage anyone who supports local business to show their support by voting for their favorite nominees, ” said Vivio.

Valpak launched the Dough to Grow Award because it is keenly aware of the obstacles small business owners must overcome to grow their business. Valpak franchises in more than 170 cities in 45 states and four Canadian provinces partner with tens of thousands of businesses to help them reach new customers and increase the bottom line through print and digital direct marketing products.

How to Get the Dough:

If you, or a business owner you know, think you are North America’s favorite small business and could use $10,000 to grow your business, nominate yourself now for a chance to win the cash.

The process is simple:

1. Visit DoughtoGrowAward.com to nominate the business, or find the business you are looking for.
2. Vote for your favorite business. Only businesses with 100 or more votes are eligible to win.
3. Share your nomination with Facebook and Twitter to increase the votes.

Since the number of total votes will contribute to each nominee’s score in the judging process, nominees are encouraged to get votes from their community. A small business must receive a minimum of 100 votes during the voting period to be eligible to win the Dough to Grow Award. The business does not need to be a current Valpak advertiser.

When the voting period closes, the ten (10) small businesses with the highest number of votes in excess of 100 votes will be named finalists. These finalists will be reviewed by a committee of judges who will select the winner based on the following criteria:

• Compelling story of why the funds are needed and/or how they will be allocated – 35%
• Energy, enthusiasm, creativity and passion for your business – 25%
• Quantity of votes – 15%
• Solid business & management team/owner – 15%
• Positive impact on the community and/or team – 10%

The winner will be announced in December 2012. To participate or find more information about contest rules and eligibility requirements, visit www.DoughtoGrowAward.com.  No purchase necessary.  Void where prohibited.  Contest open only to legal residents of the United States or of Canada (excluding Quebec) who are owners or employees of an eligible small business (e.g., must be a for-profit only organization, must not employ more than 100 employees, must have been actively conducting its current business activities for at least 1 year immediately preceding the Contest) and who have reached the age of majority in their state/province of residence at time of entry. Contest ends November 30, 2012. Click here for full contest rules, additional small business eligibility requirements, entry instructions and other important details. 

About Valpak® - Valpak, one of the leading direct marketing companies in North America, is owned and operated by Cox Target Media, along withSavings.com. With nearly 170 franchises across the United States and Canada, the signature Blue Envelope® delivers savings and value to nearly 40 million households each month. Annually, Valpak will distribute some 20 billion offers inserted in more than 500 million envelopes. Valpak also offers digital solutions with www.Valpak.com®, an online site for printable coupons, e-commerce and coupon codes, which has nearly 70 million offer views each month, as well as apps for smartphone platforms For more information about advertising with Valpak, please contact 1-800-676-6878.