Make Mine A Million $ Business, a national non-profit business development program, recently selected Diane Griffin of Security First & Associates as one of six businesswomen to win the Micro to Millions awards package, presented at the group's January event at The Globe Theatre in Universal City, California. The winners' prize included money, marketing, mentoring and technology assistance all designed to help their businesses grow into million-dollar enterprises.

Griffin was selected from among more than 1,000 women entrepreneurs who applied for the six Micro to Millions packages awarded in January. The Micro to Millions program provides women entrepreneurs whose businesses are under two years old or under $200,000 in annual revenue with the support they need to take their businesses from the start up stage to the million-dollar mark.

After many years in the security administration business from the corporate or contractor side, Griffin decided to take the plunge and start her own security consulting firm, Security First & Associates (SFA), in 2002. SFA specializes in assisting government entities and contractors in complying with the maze of federal security guidelines, working in partnership with its customers to conduct security clearances and background checks, and to ensure compliance with the National Industrial Security Program (NISP) requirements, perform program management, audit control and more.

"I'm so pleased to have won this award, as it is tangible proof that I'm truly on the right path with my entrepreneurial vision," Griffin says. "Owning one's own business is a challenge on a day-to-day level, with no one to be accountable for successes -- as well as failures -- but yourself. The recognition from the Micro to Millions program is great validation of the worth of these challenges, and certainly, the rewarding nature of owning your own business is worth the fight."

"I plan on using the award money to obtain several certifications that will enable me to expand my business dramatically into additional core competencies for my customers to leverage," Griffin continues. "I also plan on augmenting my marketing outreach by increasing my branding, advertising, and public relations activities, as well as stepping up networking activities."

Launched in 2005 by Count Me In for Women's Economic Independence and founding partner OPEN from American Express®, the Make Mine a Million $ Business program was created to help post-start up, women-owned businesses grow to one million dollars in annual revenue. Since the inception, the program has hosted 12 competitions in cities around the country and grown into a nationwide movement. For the Los Angeles event, 1,222 applications were submitted in hopes of securing an award package.

The Make Mine a Million $ Business program has garnered support from organizations who are all joining hands in order to make an impact in women's lives and strengthening the US economy. The impressive list of blue-chip national sponsors include OPEN from American Express, Cisco, FedEx, QVC, Jet Blue, Marriot, and Dell. Sponsors provide an array of products and services that serve as invaluable tools for growth.

Security First & Associates assists government entities, and companies and contractors working with these entities, in fulfilling National Industrial Security Program (NISP) requirements and in cohering with other related federal guidelines. The company's strengths include expertise in the following categories within the security arena: Applicant Prescreening; Personnel Security; Program Management; Audit Control; Computer Security; Policy and Procedural Development; and Background Investigations. For more information on Security First & Associates, please contact Diane Griffin at (410)312-3597 or via email at sfa@securityfirstassociates.com. Visit Security First & Associates online at www.securityfirstassociates.com