Business Awards – you could be in the pink

Lotteries, prize draws, premium bonds, business awards: are you that person who says “I never win / I’m not lucky” and doesn’t even give it a go?

Where luck is involved, someone is bound to win so depending on how risk averse you are, you can opt to pay the price and hope that the laws of probability are in your favour.  According to the old National Lottery catchphrase: it could be you!

What about business awards though?  Well, unless contenders are nominated by paying customers, you definitely won’t win if you don’t apply.  You know the saying: you’ve got to be in it to win it!

Perhaps something else is holding you back:

• It’s not something for your line of business
• You’re not good enough to merit an award
• You need to be in Marketing or PR to cope with the application
• Or simply good old procrastination; you intend to apply but life (and work) gets in the way.

Maybe you are just getting ahead of yourself; business awards aren’t just about winning.  Richard Tubb, author of tubblog.co.uk and IT support industry adviser, comments:

Whether you win or not is actually irrelevant. The review and submissions part of the awards will help you recognise and then articulate your value as a business.

Having got over your qualms, where should you begin?  It’s probably best to target an award within your industry or something based in your home area rather than selecting a national category, but if you are up for it, why not aim high.

When the flyer for the Tonbridge Business Awards fell out of the Tonbridge Business Show goodie bag, this seemed like the ideal event to put these good intentions into practice.  The flyer asked: Are you a Tonbridge business doing great things for the local community?  It was high time for Computer Troubleshooters to throw their hat into the ring.

Long story short:

• application completed and submitted
• notification of being a finalist received
• a wobble when the extensive list of fellow finalists was announced
• attended the ceremony; the audience buzzing with anticipation
• it’s finally the Small Business category; runners up are named
• AND THE WINNER IS: COMPUTER TROUBLESHOOTERS!

What does it mean to win an award?

It’s obviously lovely to be congratulated by your peers and for your business to gain recognition.  A large part of marketing is visibility, and your social media profile is surely raised as your name is featured in posts on LinkedIn and Facebook.

I didn’t get to do an acceptance speech at the event, so here goes:

• Thanks to Jess Gibson of TN Card for organising the awards and her team of judges and sponsors who made it happen.
• Thanks to all our Tonbridge customers who have entrusted their IT to Computer Troubleshooters, allowing us to support businesses and charities in the community and build our reputation locally.
• Thanks to our business networking connections, especially Sevenoaks Chamber of Commerce who have brought back meetings to Tonbridge, for so long neglected by the business community
• Thanks to Beth James for sharing the lovely photos, bathed in the pink light of the E M Forster Theatre at the after-event drinks
• And thank you to Richard Tubb for sowing the seed of considering ourselves worthy of entering for business awards.

In conclusion, it is worth stepping out of your comfort zone for the right award.  Even if you don’t win, it’s a great opportunity to network.  You also get to hear about plenty of splendid companies that you were previously unaware of.  Prospective customers will surely be impressed by your trophy cabinet / finalist and winner badges too.

If you get the opportunity, go for it!  You have nothing to lose but your own doubts and inhibitions.

Your sincerely

Your award-winning IT support advisers, Computer Troubleshooters.