Nominations for Small Business awards now open. The Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce has opened the nomination period for the 2015 Small Business Awards Luncheon, which this year will have “Small Business is the Rising Tide” as its theme. The Chamber created the small business awards, which will be held Friday, Oct. 2 at the Sheraton Carlsbad Resort and Spa, to recognize the accomplishments of its small-business owners. The awards celebrate the spirit of entrepreneurship and the fact that small business owners make up more than 99.7 percent of all employers in the country, and also more than 90 percent of our membership. “The idea of the ‘rising tide lifting all boats,’ is often associated with President John F. Kennedy and his economic policy. In fact, his speechwriter, Ted Sorensen, first noticed the phrase because it was a slogan of a regional chamber of commerce in New England,” said Toni Padron, executive vice president and Chief Operations Officer of the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce. “We feel the theme really describes the very important contribution of our small-sized businesses, both to the chamber and to the economy as a whole.” Nominees must be companies with less than 100 employees. They must also be members of the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce in good standing. Self nominations are strongly encouraged. An application form and instructions to apply are available at the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce website, www.carlsbad.org. Complete nominations must be turned in by noon on Sept. 4 . Awards will be given in the following Categories: Boots in Business Given to a person who launched a successful business following honorable discharge from the military. Community Impact –Given to a business that has created a tangible and measurable impact to the community and integrated its charitable activities into its operations. Cornerstone –Will Recognize an exceptional ‘Eureka’ moment that led to the creation of a business. E-commerce Superstar –Will recognize a business that has embraced e-commerce in unique, creative and groundbreaking ways that have allowed it to find new sources of revenue and redefined the way it does business. Serial Entrepreneur –Given to the person who has a track record of launching a series (three or more) of successful businesses. Women-Owned Business –Given to the founder of a company whose primary founder and/or owner is a woman. This person must play an integral part in the operations of the business. Workplace MVP –This award will be given to an employee whose contributions to the workplace are invaluable and who has demonstrated a commitment to the company’s vision that motivates others to step up their game. The Small Business Awards Luncheon will feature a special keynote conversation with Ralph Rubio, the founder of Rubio’s, who will talk about how he grew his small business from a single stand into a thriving restaurant with nearly 200 locations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada and Utah. Tickets to the event are available on the Chamber’s website. This event is sponsored by NRG Energy, Inc.; Grand Pacific Resorts; Tri-City Medical Center; and Wells Fargo.