Official Rules: 2026 That’s The Business Awards

1. Organizer

The 2026 That’s The Business Awards (the “Awards”) are organized by That’s The Business (“we” or “us”), the business directory operated by MCNM Marketing in Las Vegas, Nevada. Questions about these rules can go to MCNM Marketing.

2. Nomination period

Nominations open October 4, 2026, and close Monday, November 30, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. We do not accept late nominations.

3. How to nominate

• Anyone 18 or older can submit a nomination, including the owner of the business being nominated.
• Nominations must use the online form on the That’s The Business Awards page. It is free, and no purchase is necessary.
• You may nominate as many businesses as you like, one form per business. One form can cover several categories.
• We combine duplicate nominations for the same business. The number of nominations does not affect scoring.
• Nominations must be accurate to the best of the nominator’s knowledge. We may remove nominations that are false, offensive, or submitted in bad faith.

4. Eligibility

• Location. The business or nonprofit must operate in Southern Nevada (including Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas, Summerlin, and the rest of Clark County), Southern California (including Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, and the Inland Empire), or Northern Arizona (including Flagstaff, Sedona, Prescott, Prescott Valley, and Kingman).
• Good standing. It must hold a current business license, registration, or nonprofit status where one is required.
• Operating history. The Big Idea Award is open to businesses at any stage, including pre-revenue. The Execution, Fastest Revenue Growth, and Best Jobs awards require at least 12 months of operation by November 30, 2026.
• Not eligible. MCNM Marketing, That’s The Business, and any business owned by a judge, by an MCNM Marketing employee, or by an immediate family member of either.
• MCNM clients. MCNM Marketing clients are eligible and are judged under the conflict rules in Section 7.
• Listing. Finalists must have an active listing on That’s The Business (a free listing qualifies) before finalists are announced. We will help finalists set one up.

5. Award categories and scoring

“The last 12 months” means October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026. Revenue growth compares that period with the 12 months before it. Judges score each nomination out of 100 points using the published criteria for each award:

• The Big Idea Award. Scored on: Originality (30 points); Real demand (30 points); Room to grow (20 points); Local impact (20 points).
• The Execution Award. Scored on: Milestones hit (30 points); Customer results (30 points); Systems that work (20 points); Grit (20 points).
• The Fastest Revenue Growth Award. Scored on: Growth rate (60 points); Durability (20 points); Efficiency (20 points).
• The Best Jobs Award. Scored on: Jobs created (30 points); Pay (25 points); Benefits and flexibility (15 points); Growth paths (15 points); Local opportunity (15 points).
• That’s The Business of the Year. The judges choose it from the category finalists. It cannot be nominated directly.

A business may be a finalist in more than one category. We may choose not to name a winner in a category if no nomination meets the standard.

6. Judging and verification

• A panel of local business owners and community leaders reviews eligible nominations as they arrive and completes screening after the nomination period ends.
• Shortlisted businesses receive a short questionnaire and must verify key claims by December 11, 2026. Revenue can be verified with a CPA letter, a tax filing summary, or a profit-and-loss report. Jobs can be verified with a payroll or headcount report. Shortlisted businesses must accept these rules to stay in consideration.
• Verification documents are used only for judging. Only the awards administrator and the judges scoring that nomination see them, and we delete them within 30 days after winners are announced.
• A shortlisted business that cannot verify a material claim may be removed from consideration.
• We announce finalists on December 15, 2026, and winners on January 14, 2027. The judges’ decisions are final.

7. Conflicts of interest and fairness

• Judges must disclose any business, financial, or family tie to a nominee. A judge with a conflict does not score that nominee.
• The judging panel may include MCNM Marketing staff. No judge scores an MCNM Marketing client they work with or have a business relationship with.
• Featured listings, advertising, and MCNM Marketing services are separate from the Awards. Buying them never affects a score, and not buying them never hurts one.

8. Notifying finalists and winners

• We contact finalists and winners by email or phone before the public announcement.
• Finalists must confirm acceptance by December 14, 2026. Winners must confirm within five business days of being contacted. If we cannot reach a business or it does not respond in time, we may name an alternate.
• Any business may decline recognition.

9. Recognition

• Winners receive an official 2026 winner badge, 12 months of Featured placement on That’s The Business starting when winners are announced, a winner spotlight on That’s The Business, and an announcement on That’s The Business and MCNM Marketing social channels and in a press release to local media.
• Finalists receive a 2026 finalist badge and a place on the published finalists list.
• Nominees may display the official 2026 nominee badge.
• Recognition has no cash value and cannot be transferred or exchanged. We may substitute recognition of equal or greater value.
• Badges must show the award year and may not be altered.

10. Publicity

By accepting finalist or winner status, a business agrees that we may publish its name, logo, city, website, description, approved photos and quotes, and its award status in connection with the Awards, without extra compensation. We will not publish revenue, payroll, or growth figures without written permission.

11. Privacy

We use the information in a nomination to run the Awards: to review nominations, contact nominees and nominators, and announce results. We email nominators about their nomination. We send marketing emails only to people who opt in on the form, and anyone can unsubscribe at any time. We do not sell personal information.

12. General conditions

• We may change dates, update these rules, or suspend or cancel the Awards if circumstances require. Changes will be posted on this page with a new “last updated” date.
• We may disqualify any nomination or nominee that violates these rules.
• The Awards are not affiliated with any government agency. Void where prohibited by law.
• These rules are governed by the laws of the State of Nevada.