Last month I wrote about virtual business award ceremonies and the success of Oliver Butts, Managing Director of the Sussex-based soap and luxury products manufacturer Christina May, best known for the English Soap Company brand. Since then, they have had further success and are ‘International Business of the Year’ at the South East region finals of the Federation of Small Businesses Celebrating Small Business Awards.
In the last blog I said how the business award calendar is a good way to plan your promotional calendar and that made me think about the reasons why companies should enter these competitions. The truth is, there are plenty of good reasons for entering business awards, and those rewards are not restricted to winning.
So, here are my top seven reasons for entering business awards:
So, here are my top seven reasons for entering business awards:
1. Learn – because not all awards are the same, you can learn different things about how your business is operating. For example, Cleankill Pest Control are currently shortlisted for four awards at the Gatwick Diamond Business Awards - 'Award for Brighter Thinking', 'Green Business of the Year', 'Professional Services Firm of the Year', and Managing Director Paul Bates is a finalist in the category for 'Business Person of the Year'. Each category makes you focus on a single aspect of your business, meaning you really look at different parts of your business, learn where things are working and not working, and can therefore implement improvements.
2. USP – if you have a unique selling point – for example, with Cleankill it is that they are an environmentally aware pest control company – then business awards are a great way to promote it. Even something that may seem an unnatural match – e.g. ‘green’ and pest control – will receive an enormous boost when you win an award for it. Cleankill has won several awards for its USP, at the Gatwick Diamond Business Awards, Croydon Business Excellence Awards, and Seahaven Awards.
3. Feedback – winning is great but it is not everything. The judges in a competition will know a thing or two about running a business and may even know about running a business in your sector. They are impartial, often work in your area, and so the feedback they give can be invaluable.
4. Morale – in normal times, when we are not restricted to a Zoom ceremony, these events are a great opportunity to show staff your appreciation for their efforts. Buying them a ticket to the ceremony might cost you in financial terms but the loyalty it engenders will be priceless. If you win, they can share in your success, if you lose, then just being together at a social event is valuable.
5. Visibility – winners will have their profile raised through articles in local and trade press. You can also talk about it in social media messages and on websites. It is a great way to let your customers know they are working with an industry leader, and it does not hurt to differentiate you from the competition!
6. Quality – by definition, a winner has been judged to be the best in that category. Even to be a finalist is an amazing achievement. Since awards are often judged by local business leaders, being independently judged as the best at something in your region is always going to be a boost for your company and, because most business communities are quite small, this will give you an amazing advantage over the competition.
7. Recognition – whether you win or lose, your name will be mentioned again and again throughout the awards ceremony, which is great publicity. I know Paul Bates still has people reminding him of the time Hugh Dennis kept mentioning Cleankill during a ceremony because he found it amusing, and that was a year they did not win. By the end of the evening, everyone in that building had heard Cleankill’s name several times.
Of course, not everyone wins. Sometimes the odds are against you – for example, you might be only one business among 40-50,000 businesses in a particular region – but the true value isn’t just in winning, it is in participating. If you go into it with the right attitude, and a desire to learn, you will enhance your business just by taking part.
There is no denying that entering business awards is time consuming, and it may force you to objectively assess an area of your business you would rather ignore, but that is part of their true value and, in the end, it is always worth it. The question isn’t, “should I enter business awards?” it is, “can I afford not to enter?”
Over the years, Blueberry PR has worked with a number of clients on their award entries, including Cleankill, The English Soap Company, and Catsfield Christmas Tree Farm.
To learn more about we can help you enter business awards,
contact Suzi by calling 01323 449744 or e-mailing suzi@blueberry-pr.co.uk