YARMOUTH — What do a financial planning firm, a media publication and a center for training and education have in common?

The two businesses and one nonprofit were recently recognized by SCORE Cape Cod & the Islands for general excellence in 2022.

SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) is a national nonprofit whose members provide mentoring, consultation and advice to business owners. SCORE Cape Cod & the Islands has been helping local businesses for 29 years.

More than 50 volunteer mentors have worked with more than 900 businesses this year alone, according to SCORE mentor Marc Goldberg. SCORE's Cape chapter collaborates with chambers of commerce to offer workshops co-hosted by Coastal Community Capital through a grant from the Cape Cod 5 Foundation.

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What stood out about these three businesses

Beacon Financial Planning Inc., Cape and Plymouth Business Media, and Martha’s Vineyard Center for Education and Training are this year’s SCORE winners. Beacon was voted Best Small Business of 2022. Cape and Plymouth Business Media got the nod for Small Business Champion, and the Martha’s Vineyard Center was voted Non-Profit of the Year.

The awards are a way to let the community know that small businesses matter, Goldberg said.

“The community should value their small businesses, especially those that survived their first three to five years,” he said. “They hire employees. They’re profitable. And they are contributing to the community by being part of the community, not just as a business.”

There are 33.2 million small businesses in the U.S., according to the Small Business Administration. The Administration defines small businesses as firms with fewer than 500 employees. They make up more than 99% of all U.S. businesses and have accounted for 65% of new job creation since 2000.

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The Cape and Islands have 8,679 small businesses operating, according to a 2020 report from the Cape Cod Commission. Michaela Herlihy, president and CCO of Beacon Financial Planning, considers small businesses the backbone of Cape Cod.

"Anytime you look at who sponsored the Little League jersey or gave a donation for whatever is going on in the community, its usually those small business owners,” she said. “Small businesses care about the community, but in return the community really cares about the small business. They take the idea of shopping local seriously. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship.”

Herlihy calls the award her company received a way for an all-female owned and operated financial planning firm to be recognized in an area that is normally male dominated. And the fact that the award highlights the business, rather than in individual, is an indication of the strong teamwork Beacon offers, she said.

The three SCORE winners joined 17 other Cape businesses in a breakfast ceremony on Oct. 26 that recognized their general business excellence.

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Small businesses have role in community

Warren Rutherford, a board member with the Greater Hyannis Chamber of Commerce, said it is important to acknowledge those who have gone above and beyond in the operation of their business and their service to the community.

There are some 350 businesses in the Greater Hyannis Chamber of Commerce, President and CEO Marty Bruemmel said. Members nominate other members based on good business practices, innovation, growth, management philosophy, response to industry adversity, and community involvement.

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The board of directors review the nominations and vote on the businesses they consider the most deserving. The selection process follows similar guidelines in the other Cape Cod chambers of commerce.

The Greater Hyannis Chamber of Commerce also recently recognized businesses for community service, citizenship, and business of the year based on its number of employees.

Hyannis' Unsung Hero

The Hyannis chamber's Unsung Hero award was given posthumously to George (Skip) Simpson III for his long history as a business owner in Hyannis and work in the community.

Simpson died on Aug. 6. He and his wife, Lisa, were third-generation owners of the Anchor In in Hyannis. He was a member of the Hyannis Chamber of Commerce, and served as president in 2008. He was on the Hyannis Water Board from 2007-2013, and was a member of the West Barnstable Civic Association.

Felis Barreiro, owner of Alberto’s Ristorante, received the John F. Kennedy Jr. Community Service Award. The award recognizes a business owner’s exemplary community service. Barreiro has been part of the fabric of Hyannis since 1980. In 1984, he bought Alberto’s Restaurant and subsequently moved it to Main Street.

Barreiro has a long tenure of giving back to the community by supporting local organizations with gift certificates and holding functions at discounted prices.

Christopher Joyce, president of Joyce Landscaping, received the Patrick Butler Citizen of the Year Award. Established in 1977, the award recognizes an individual who has distinguished himself or herself through volunteerism and made a recognizable contribution to the business community.

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Joyce has operated the Barnstable youth football program for 20 years. He is the past president of the Cape Cod Landscape Association, a past member of the Barnstable School Committee, which he chaired for two years. His company’s charitable work includes financial support for Cape Cod Kids Meals.

The landscape company is a major employer on the Cape. It has 120 year-round workers, and another 80 seasonal employees, Joyce said.

The Hyannis Chamber also recognized two businesses for Business of the year. Chez Antoine, an 850-square-foot patisserie offering delicacies from France and Belgium, was selected Business of the Year for a business with less than 25 employees.

Horgan Insurance took honors for the small business with more than 25 employees. The family-owned independent agency has been on the Cape since 1945.

Small business excellence awards were also given out by other Cape and Islands chambers of commerce. Awards were made to Emerald Hollow Therapeutic Riding Center in Brewster; If the Show Fits in Chatham; Glen Cover Hotel and Restaurant in Onset; Chatelain Real Estate in Dennis; Eastham ACE Hardware in Eastham; Howlingbird Studio in Falmouth; Sandcastle Doggie Playcare in Harwich; Stefanie Wolf Designs in Martha’s Vineyard; Steeple Street Music Academy in Mashpee; Pip & Anchor in Nantucket; The Barley Neck in Orleans; Provincetown Brewing Co. in Provincetown, Dunbar House Tea Room and Wine Bar in Sandwich; Up Front Clothing and Gift Boutique in Wellfleet; and JoMama’s NY Bagels and Coffeehouse in Yarmouth. Kandy Korner was given a small business excellence award by the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce.

Contact Denise Coffey at dcoffey@capecodonline.com. Follow her on Twitter: @DeniseCoffeyCCT.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: SCORE Cape & Islands celebrates Cape's small businesses with awards