Public vote picks KC Chamber ‘Fan Favorites’ ahead of Small Business of the Year reveal

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