The deadline to nominate a local business for the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Year Award is fast approaching.

Anyone wishing to nominate a small business has until March 7 to submit nomination forms to Mary Bickerstaff at the Chamber. Submission can be made via fax at (229) 434-8716 or email to [email protected].

To be nominated the business must be a current Chamber of Commerce member for at least a year and have fewer than 100 employees. Once nominations are received, a selection committee will notify that business and request certain information for consideration.

Areas of judging considerations include an indication of continued growth for the business in the areas of sales, customer service or new products and services, innovative nature of products or services offered, resiliency when dealing with challenges and opportunities and the methods used to address them, contributions by the nominee to aid the community and chamber involvement.

Nomination forms can be picked up at the Chamber office located at 225 W. Broad Ave. in downtown Albany or found on the Camber’s Facebook page Albany Area Chamber of Commerce.

Every year the Chamber of Commerce selects one member business as its small business of the year at the organization’s annual Small Business Gala.

The top nominees and winner will be recognized at the Chamber’s annual Small Business Gala being held May 13 at the Albany Museum of Art.

Past winners of the award include A West Enterprises in 2013 and the Veranda in 2012.