News release from Minor League Baseball:
MiLB and OnDeck Launch Contest To Find 2015 Small Business of the Year
One Local Small Business To Be Honored at Baseball Winter Meetings
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (September 24, 2015) — Minor League Baseball®, America’s leader for affordable family entertainment, has partnered with OnDeck®, a leading provider of small business loans, to give one small business owner the ultimate home run – an all-expenses paid opportunity to promote his or her business at a national level. Beginning today, individuals can nominate their small business for the 2015 Small Business of the Year award.
The OnDeck Small Business of the Year winner will receive:
- Inclusion in a press release, social media promotion and a feature story on MiLB.com promoting the award;
- An all-expenses paid trip for the business owner and three guests to the 2015 Baseball Winter Meetingsâ„¢ in Nashville, Tennessee, this December;
- Recognition at the meetings and an award presentation from Minor League Baseball President & CEO Pat O’Conner and other industry executives.
The Small Business of the Year award is the culmination of OnDeck’s first year as a Minor League Baseball sponsor. Throughout the 2015 season, the organizations recognized over 80 Small Business of the Month winners across more than 20 activation clubs.
“Through our partnership with OnDeck, we’ve been able to give small businesses additional exposure not only in their local markets, but nationally as well,” said Pat O’Conner, President & CEO of Minor League Baseball. “This award is a continuation of the momentum we’ve built this season. We’re honored to recognize the achievements of a small business in an MiLB market and include them in our industry’s largest event, the Baseball Winter Meetings.”
“In addition to securing capital, we know marketing is a major small business challenge. That’s why we decided to launch the Small Business of the Year contest, and give one deserving business owner the kind of brand exposure that only big businesses typically have the budgets to do,” said Andrea Gellert, chief marketing officer of OnDeck. “Our partnership with Minor League Baseball has been built on small business recognition, and we’re thrilled to be capping off our inaugural year by providing a national spotlight with this award.”
For more information about the Small Business of the Year award and official rules, click here. Small business owners can enter for the opportunity to win through Oct. 19, 2015.
About Minor League Baseball
Minor League Baseball, headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida, is the governing body for all professional baseball teams in the United States, Canada, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic that are affiliated with Major League Baseball clubs through their farm systems. Fans are coming out in unprecedented numbers to this one-of-a-kind experience that can only be found at Minor League Baseball ballparks. In 2014, Minor League Baseball attracted 42.4 million fans to its ballparks to see the future stars of the sport hone their skills. From the electricity in the stands to the excitement on the field, Minor League Baseball has provided affordable family-friendly entertainment to people of all ages since its founding in 1901. For more information about Minor League Baseball, visit www.MiLB.com.About OnDeck
OnDeck, a leading platform for small business loans, is committed to increasing Main Street’s access to capital. OnDeck uses advanced lending technology and analytics to assess creditworthiness based on actual operating performance and not solely on personal credit. The OnDeck Score®, the company’s proprietary small business credit scoring system, evaluates thousands of data points to deliver a credit decision rapidly and accurately. Small businesses can apply for a line of credit or term loan online in minutes, get a decision immediately and receive funds in as fast as the same day. OnDeck also partners with small business service providers, enabling them to connect their customers to OnDeck financing. OnDeck’s diversified loan funding strategy enables the company to fund small business loans from various credit facilities, securitization and the OnDeck Marketplace®, a platform that enables institutional investors to purchase small business loans originated by OnDeck.Since 2007, OnDeck has deployed more than $3 billion to more than 700 different industries in all 50 U.S. states, and also makes small business loans in Canada. The company has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and operates the website BusinessLoans.com which provides credit education and information about small business financing. On December 17, 2014, OnDeck started trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker ONDK.
For more information, please visit www.ondeck.com.