NEW YORK, Sept. 6, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute has been named one of the 2011 Small Business Influencer Champions, announced organizers Small Business Trends and Smallbiztechnology.com. Champions were selected for having made a meaningful and lasting impact on the North American small business market.
Since its inception two years ago, The Institute has strived to better understand the needs and concerns of America's small business owners. It combines ground-breaking research with the expertise of people within the Guardian Life family to yield deeper knowledge, insights and wisdom about small business owners and the businesses they build.
Guardian is one of just 16 corporations to win the award and the only insurance company represented. Other Small Business Influencer Champions represent such categories as news outlets, journalists, leaders and gurus.
"We are thrilled to have been recognized with this award for the work we have done over the past two years" said Mark Wolf, director of The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute. "America's small business owners are the job creation engine of the U.S. economy, and Guardian is committed to supporting them with meaningful research and actionable insights."
A total of 520 nominees vied for the Small Business Influencer Champion award. The selection process involved two stages: voting by the community, which exceeded 125,000 votes (weighted at 40 percent) and voting by a panel of judges (weighted at 60 percent).
"This award truly validates our efforts," said John Krubski, research advisor for The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute. "We intend to keep a sharp focus on small business owners and how their needs are often dramatically different from those who lead large enterprises."
"It's an honor to be named a Small Business Influencer Champion as an individual, but also as a member of The Institute's team," said Patricia G. Greene, Ph.D., MBA, special academic advisor to The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute and the President's Distinguished Chair in Entrepreneurship at Babson College, and a 2011 Influencer in her own right, in the gurus category.
"The Institute's research is unique in uncovering actionable insights and identifying key success factors, and that's what makes it such a helpful resource to small business owners," she noted.
About The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute
The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute is a resource devoted to better understanding America's small business owners. It combines research the company commissions with the expertise of people within the Guardian Life family who have deep experience in the small business community, to yield deeper knowledge, insights and wisdom about today's small business trends.
For more information about The Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute, please visit: www.smallbizdom.com.
About Guardian
A mutual insurer founded in 1860, The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America and its subsidiaries are committed to protecting individuals, business owners and their employees with life, long term care insurance, disability income, dental insurance products, and offer 401(k), annuities and other financial products. Guardian operates one of the largest dental networks in the United States, and protects more than six million employees and their families at 120,000 companies. The company has approximately 5,000 employees in the United States and a network of over 3,000 financial representatives in more than 80 agencies nationwide.
For more information about Guardian, please visit: www.GuardianLife.com
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