TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Mar 17, 2014) - Today, TELUS (TSX:T)(NYSE:TU) and The Globe and Mail announced the fourth annual installment of "The Challenge," an annual contest that helps small business owners overcome their biggest business challenge with a $100,000 award from TELUS and other support for the four finalists and 10 regional winners. Canadian small business owners are invited to submit their business challenge online at Globeandmail.com/thechallenge. All winners will be selected by a panel of judges consisting of inspiring Canadian business owners and business experts.

"At TELUS, we're passionate about supporting small business owners with innovative solutions that help their business thrive. Through "The Challenge," we're able to extend this passion further and support owners that are jumping significant hurdles to achieve their business goals," said Jim Senko, vice-president, Small Business Solutions, TELUS. "Due to the incredible submissions we reviewed in 2013, we are expanding this year's competition to recognize not only the top four finalists, but also 10 regional companies that are facing unique challenges. We're excited to partner with The Globe and Mail to once again champion the growth of the small business community in Canada."

"Whether it's hiring sales staff, finding new markets or raising their marketing games, small businesses across the country are doing their best to get to that next level. But with limited time and money, growth isn't always easy, which is why we partnered with TELUS to host the $100,000 contest," said Katherine Scarrow, editor, Small Business, The Globe and Mail. "We're searching for motivated small businesses on the verge of greatness - all they need is that extra push."

Four finalists will present their business challenges to a judging panel at TELUS House in downtown Toronto on June 19, and explain how they would use the $100,000 to overcome their key obstacle. Finalists will be profiled in The Globe and Mail's Report on Business and at theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business. The final winner will be announced on September 18, 2014. In addition, 10 regional awards will be given out during Small Business Week in October.

Contest Rules

To enter the contest, business owners with fewer than 100 employees are asked to describe the following in an 830-word submission:

  • Their business (30 words);
  • A challenge their business is currently experiencing (200 words);
  • A proposed solution to this challenge and how the $100,000 prize will help overcome the challenge (200 words);
  • The results they expect to achieve (200 words);
  • How their business incorporates the following values into their business: 1) community investment/commitment to charities, 2) customer service and 3) innovation (200 words).

Judges

Chris Griffiths - Director, Fine Tune Consulting, a boutique business consulting practice, and long-time entrepreneur

Carolyn Lawerence - President and CEO, Women of Influence

Jim Senko - Vice-President, Small Business Solutions, TELUS

Suzanne Trusdale - Director of Sales, Small Business Solutions, TELUS

Katherine Scarrow - Editor, Small Business, The Globe and Mail

Steve Tustin - Editor, Custom Content Group, The Globe and Mail

Sean Stanleigh - Editor, Report on Small Business, The Globe and Mail

Awards

Winner will receive $100,000 grant from TELUS

Four finalists will each receive business prize packs consisting of:

  • Three Samsung smartphones from TELUS' product lineup
  • A TELUS business specialist to help set up the devices for business purposes
  • A one year subscription to The Globe and Mail Unlimited
  • A one hour mentoring session with one of the judges

10 regional winners will each receive business prize packs consisting of

  • Three Samsung smartphones from TELUS' product lineup
  • A TELUS business specialist to help set up the devices for business purposes

For full details about how to enter and to read the contest rules and regulations, please visit Globeandmail.com/thechallenge.

Canadians and fellow small business owners can join the conversation and follow the contest on Twitter via @TELUSbusiness and @GlobeSmallBiz using the hashtag #smbizchallenge, on LinkedIn and on Facebook at Facebook.com/TELUSBusiness. The contest closes May 26, 2014.

In 2013, TELUS received more than 1,000 entries and Calgary, Alberta-based Livestock Water Recycling was awarded $100,000. The company specializes in innovative manure treatment technologies for livestock operations, and uses a patented water recycling system to clean and extract fertilizer nutrients from manure for reuse. With the grant, Livestock Water Recycling is researching and adopting new sustainable manure treatment technologies for cleaning livestock manure to ultimately expand and improve their current operations.

"The $100,000 award enabled us to add lab facilities that allow us to participate in water treatment on a global scale benefiting both the environment and the bottom line," said Ross Thurston, President, Livestock Water Recycling, Inc. "The sustainable development project we started a few miles from our Calgary office is now able to be sold around the world."

TELUS provides a full suite of office and mobile communications solutions to more than 500,000 small and medium-sized businesses across Canada. Companies doing business with TELUS can count on a large business team dedicated to providing innovative solutions that help their businesses thrive.

About TELUS

TELUS (TSX:T)(NYSE:TU) is Canada's fastest-growing national telecommunications company, with $11.4 billion of annual revenue and 13.3 million customer connections, including 7.8 million wireless subscribers, 3.3 million wireline network access lines, 1.4 million Internet subscribers and 815,000 TELUS TV customers. Led since 2000 by President and CEO, Darren Entwistle, TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services, including wireless, data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, television, entertainment and video.

In support of our philosophy to give where we live, TELUS, our team members and retirees have contributed more than $350 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered 5.4 million hours of service to local communities since 2000. TELUS was honoured to be named the most outstanding philanthropic corporation globally for 2010 by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, becoming the first Canadian company to receive this prestigious international recognition.

For more information about TELUS, please visit www.telus.com.

About The Globe and Mail

The Globe and Mail, through its newspaper, magazine, online and mobile platforms, is Canada's foremost news media company. Each day, The Globe leads the national discussion by engaging Canadians in its award-winning coverage and analysis of news, politics, business and lifestyle. The Globe and Mail, Canada's national newspaper, founded in 1844, Report on Business, Canada's most influential business magazine, and globeandmail.com, the newspaper's online and mobile media hub, reach a combined 6.3 million readers every month. The Globe has received numerous journalism awards, including the international 2011 prize for General Excellence in Journalism from the Online News Associations, nine Michener Awards for Public Service Journalism, and more National Newspaper Awards than any other newspaper in Canada. The Globe and Mail is 85% owned by Woodbridge, the investment arm of the Thomson family, and Bell Canada (15%).