BOSTON, MA: February 16, 2022 -- The largest online referral network for small businesses, Alignable.com is announcing the results of its national search for leaders who’ve gone above and beyond guiding peers and supporting entire communities as they strive to recover.
Today, Alignable’s network has chosen Tracey Lee Davis of ZingPop Social Media as San Jose’s 2022 Local Business Person Of The Year! This is the third year of this contest and the third win for Davis.
The 2022 contest was the most popular competition Alignable has ever hosted, marking a 64% increase in participation over last year. In all, 2,400+ small business owners were elected by their peers to be their Local Business People Of The Year across the U.S. and Canada.
During the contest, which ran from Jan. 10 to Feb. 11, 2022, 160,000+ votes and 32,000+ testimonials were posted praising thousands of local leaders for helping their peers and communities through a turbulent year with many challenges: skyrocketing inflation, labor shortages, supply chain problems, and COVID variants.
Because of these issues, 70% of small businesses have yet to recover and recovery rates have declined 13% since December, according to Alignable’s latest poll of 6,305 small business owners. This recovery reversal highlights how important it is for the contest winners to continue their work helping even more businesses bounce back from pandemic-era hurdles.
Giving Is The Glue Holding Us Together
“I have always thought that my community has some of the most genuine and caring people around,” said Davis. “If there is one thing that my community has taught me, it is that you truly get what you give. And the struggles we have all encountered over the last several years have compelled many of us to offer counsel and other support to peers struggling to keep their businesses afloat. I could not be happier with our community-wide approach toward supporting each other. Getting this award for the third year in a row is just the icing on the cake!"
Davis received a special badge on her Alignable profile, recognizing this big win. In past years, the awareness generated through similar contests has spurred expanded connections, as well as new business for many winners.
Driving Recognition Is Key
“This has been a fun and rewarding contest to watch unfold,” said Alignable’s President & Co-Founder Venkat Krishnamurthy. “Local business owners are the heart and soul of their communities and they ought to get way more recognition for all they do. Friendly competition aside, this contest generated some incredible peer testimonials (to the tune of 32,000+), showing exactly why small business owners are stronger together.”
To arrange interviews with Tracey Lee Davis and/or an Alignable representative, please contact Chuck Casto at chuck@alignable.com. He also can offer JPEGs and other visuals, as well as local winner testimonials.
About ZingPop Social Media
Tracey Lee Davis, founder of ZingPop Social Media, turns busy small business owners into online marketing rockstars! A social media expert and Certified Partner for Constant Contact, she coaches entrepreneurs in how to grow their business using social media and provides total management for their email marketing campaigns. Tracey Lee is also a featured speaker for associations and business groups.
About Alignable
Alignable.com is the largest online referral network for small businesses in the U.S. and Canada. With 7 million+ members across 35,000+ local communities, Alignable is the network where small business owners drive leads and prospects, generate referrals, land new business, build trusted relationships, and share great advice.