Champagne, trophies, and an excuse to buy a new outfit – that’s what award ceremonies look like from the outside. But business awards offer real commercial benefits, and you should be making the most of them.
There are thousands of small businesses in the UK – HSBC helped to launch 130,000 of them last year alone – and every one of them is distinctive in some way. But making yourself really stand out from the crowd can be tough. How can you differentiate yourself from the competition?
How about winning an award?
Awards are a mark of approval that immediately distinguishes your business from those around it. They become a USP, inspiring confidence in current and prospective customers as well as potential investors.
What’s more, they’re a great confidence boost for you and your team. Victory was particularly sweet for last year’s HSBC Start-up Stars winners. Having been turned down for funding on Dragons’ Den, the triumphant founders of Concert Live were able to say a very public I-told-you-so to Duncan Balantyne at the awards ceremony – a hugely satisfying moment for any entrepreneur!
There are plenty of specialist awards out there too. Regional and industry-specific awards could be particularly suited to your business, though you can also find awards for product design, marketing, smart use of technology, good HR practice, environmental initiatives or almost any other aspect of working life. If your business excels in one of these areas, search the web for relevant awards and go for it.
There are even awards specifically for student entrepreneurs. The HSBC Unipreneur awards celebrate the business achievements of university students and very recent graduates.
Winning an award opens a lot of doors. Not only does the press coverage raise your profile, but you could be invited to speak at conferences, attend networking events with other high-fliers, and potentially influence the direction of your industry. The awards ceremony itself can be a great networking opportunity too.
And finally, there’s the most tangible benefit of all: cash prizes. This year’s HSBC Start-Up Stars winner will walk away with a cheque for £50,000 as well as a valuable bundle of benefits and opportunities. If your business is less than three years old and you think you have what it takes, follow the links below to find out more. It could be extremely rewarding.
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