Public vote picks KC Chamber ‘Fan Favorites’ ahead of Small Business of the Year reveal
June 12, 2024 | Taylor Wilmore
In a display of growing support and recognition for the Kansas City companies, Overflow and Emerson & Co have been crowned this year’s “Fan Favorite” winners by the KC Chamber — marking the only award chosen by public vote as part of annual Small Business Celebration.
“It represents the voice of the community and highlights businesses that have captured the hearts and votes of their supporters,” said Vicky Kulikov, small business director at the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.
The accolade — sponsored by Honeywell FM&T, which operates the Kansas City National Security Campus under a Department of Energy contract — kicks off the KC Chamber’s 2024 celebration. Festivities culminate Thursday with the eagerly awaited announcement of the Small Business of the Year, also known as the “Mr. K Award” winner.
Both Emerson and Co. and Overflow — which also is one of the Top 10 finalists for the Small Business of the Year — are committed to enhancing the lives and operations of their clients.
RELATED: Meet the Small Biz of the Year finalists: KC Chamber surprises Top 10 Mr K contenders
Tim Emerson, Emerson & Co.
Emerson and Co. specialize in assisting businesses with payroll, bookkeeping, merchant services, business insurance, and taxes.
Overflow, a Certified Women Business Enterprise (WBE), empowers changemakers by crafting innovative strategic stories, designing immersive experiences, and overseeing creative production to get ideas adopted.
Overflow and Emerson & Co were selected as the top two vote-getters through an online voting process that invited the public to participate in recognizing their favorite small businesses. Their win is a result of the relationships they have built within the community, said Kulikov.
“The winners of this award often have enthusiastic employees and a loyal fan base in the community,” she said, highlighting what set Overflow and Emerson & Co apart from the competition.The visibility that comes with being named a Fan Favorite can propel these businesses to new heights, Kulikov said, attracting new customers and deeper community connections. Winning isn’t just about the immediate recognition; it can also be a tool for long-term growth.
“This award makes for awesome bragging rights. Companies that are strategic about sharing the honor with their customers and the public in different ways will likely find broader brand awareness and deeper engagement opportunities,” she said.
Click here to read more about the 2023 Fan Favorite winners.
Kulikov’s advice to other small businesses aspiring to win the Fan Favorite award in future celebrations: invite friends and fans to the Candidates’ Showcase event, encouraging them to vote early. She emphasized the importance of actively and shamelessly sharing with everyone what this honor would mean to the business
Kulikov envisions the Fan Favorite award evolving to further unite and empower the Kansas City small business community, seeing the potential for the award to create a supportive network of past winners, she said.
“They could organically connect on a regular basis and become a prestigious alumni group,” Kulikov said. “They can be cheerleaders to encourage other companies to apply for the Small Business Awards so that they too could be a Fan Favorite one day.”
In addition to Small Business of the Year, specialty awards also will be presented at Thursday’s event, including:
- The KC Chamber Emerging Business Award
- The KC Chamber Small Business Equity Award
- The KC Chamber Weida Award for International Small Business of the Year
- The KC Chamber Legacy of Kansas City Award
- The KC Chamber Luminary Arts & Creative Small Business Award
Featured Business
Taylor Wilmore
Taylor Wilmore, hailing from Lee’s Summit, is a dedicated reporter and a recent graduate of the University of Missouri, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Journalism. Taylor channels her deep-seated passion for writing and storytelling to create compelling narratives that shed light on the diverse residents of Kansas City.
Prior to her role at Startland News, Taylor made valuable contributions as a reporter for the Columbia Missourian newspaper, where she covered a wide range of community news and higher education stories.
2024 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Overlooked to booked: How 12 founders are opening the gate to scaling success through Pipeline Pathfinder
The idea that someone else sees Fresh Factory KC’s potential still seems remarkable for India Wells-Carter, she said Thursday as Pipeline unveiled her business as one of 12 selected for its first-ever Pathfinder cohort — an entryway into its elite network for often-overlooked entrepreneurs. “I know I believe in my company, but it feels great to…
Pipeline unveils first-ever double cohort in bid to develop region’s next great serial entrepreneur
Twenty-five founders are entering the Pipeline network this week, Melissa Vincent said Thursday, revealing the newest additions to its elite fellowship, as well as the just-debuted Pathfinder cohort for earlier-stage, underserved entrepreneurs. “We were blown away by the response,” said Vincent, executive director of Pipeline, noting the fall 2021 recruiting period was the most vigorous…
Yelp for DEI: New tech gives public a tool to share discrimination concerns in real-time, empowers companies to monitor, improve
Aishah Augusta-Parham’s tech platform has a goal rooted in impact: help business owners become more mindful of diversity, equity, inclusion efforts in their day-to-day operations — better ensuring their customers do business with companies and brands that embody shared values. “We are the Yelp of diversity, equity, and inclusion,” Augusta-Parham said, detailing the mission behind…
Dough-re-mi: Choir teacher’s pop-up pie hustle bakes her second verse from scratch
On any given weekday, Ann Lewis Marzette can be found in the classroom, teaching and training students in the Kearney Middle School choir. But when the clock strikes 3 p.m., she trades sheet music and scales for mixing bowls and measuring cups, embracing a side hustle that has her singing dough-re-mi — while customers serenade…