Fran Tarkenton has been nominated for the 2014 Small Business Influencer Awards in the Leaders category.

With more than 50 years of business experience, Tarkenton, an NFL Hall of Fame quarterback, is an advocate for entrepreneurship, providing affordable resources for small business owners. His companies, such as GoSmallBiz.com, are all designed to solve business problems and give entrepreneurs a better chance to succeed. GoSmallBiz.com offers an online small business accelerator program with consultation, software tools and personal mentoring by Tarkenton. Other services such as incorporation, funding and branding address challenges that business owners face every day.

In 2013, Tarkenton keynoted the SBA's National Small Business Week in Washington, DC. He supports young entrepreneurs in the Four Athens tech incubator, and was the keynote speaker and a mentor at the 2014 DECA ICDC event. His latest project with the University of Georgia is a comprehensive online certificate in entrepreneurship to strengthen and promote American small business.

The Small Business Influencer Awards honor those who are influential to small businesses inNorth America, through the products, services, knowledge, information or support they provide to the small business market.

The Awards are designed to recognize the unsung heroes of small businesses – those who support and encourage entrepreneurs and small business owners, and help them achieve success and stay successful.

Anita Campbell, CEO of Small Business Trends and one of the co-founders of the Awards along with Ramon Ray of SmallBizTechnology.com, says, "Influencers are those who play crucial roles in the small business ecosystem, but who often are in the background. Many of the nominees are themselves small business owners, entrepreneurs or small businesses. The impact of the Awards goes well beyond nominees, however – the awards also encourage and excite the nominees' employees. The Awards are intended to provide that added little boost in motivation and morale that can make a big difference in results. Being nominated also distinguishes the nominee from competitors, and in that sense can lead to competitive advantage."