KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Tennsun -- Alignable, the largest online networking platform for small businesses, announces that 𝗗𝗮𝗻 𝗛𝘂𝗴𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗟𝗛 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘅𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲'𝘀 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿!

Alignable's 2025 Local Business Person of the Year Contest reached unparalleled participation levels, logging a whopping 333,000+ votes, 77,000+ recommendations, and 4,750 winners across the U.S. and Canada.

The largest online networking platform for business owners, Alignable.com invited its 9 million+ members to shout-out local business leaders who've gone above and beyond guiding peers and supporting entire communities, amid challenging economic conditions.

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The 2025 contest is Alignable's most popular competition in over six years, with participation surging 20% compared to 2024.

During the 2025 contest, held from January 14 to March 7, 4,750 business owners—spanning over 4,500 communities—were recognized as winners, including ties. These leaders were honored for their dedication to supporting their peers and communities amid a year of economic challenges.

"In our local business community, we look out for each other and refer businesses down the street or around the corner to help make everyone in town as successful as possible," said Hughes. "And the challenges we've all encountered have compelled many of us to offer counsel to peers fighting to keep their businesses afloat. While I'm thrilled to receive this award, it's really a testament to our entire community."

Hughes received a special badge on his Alignable profile to acknowledge this achievement. In previous years, similar contests have helped winners expand their networks and generate new business opportunities.

In some cases, the most-engaged champions have doubled or tripled their revenue in the year following a contest triumph. And in 2025, even more winners are likely to reap major rewards using the company's just-launched Alignable 360 technology, which uses AI to unlock the full potential of members' networks, turning them into even more powerful growth engines.

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𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 & 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗹𝘀

"This contest has supercharged small business relationships, fueling referrals, fresh opportunities, and a wave of mutual support," said Eric Groves, CEO & Co-Founder of Alignable. "Generating more than 77,000 recommendations and 333,000 votes, this friendly competition shows that when small business owners unite, they're unstoppable. It's gratifying to see how strong recognition and relationships can spark such powerful momentum."

To arrange interviews with Dan Hughes 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 𝗗𝗟𝗛 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴

DLH Funding specializes in alternative lending solutions, offering MCA Loans, Equipment Loans, Lines of Credit, Business Term Loans, Factoring, SBA Express, and Working Capital Loans.