What's Your Excuse For Not Entering Business Awards?

There's a good old saying 'you've got to be in it to win it.' They're not just hollow words. If you have started a business or are growing a business, it is because you have a solution to a problem. You want people to know what you do and how you can help them. So the name of the game is to stand out. That means putting yourself out there.

When it comes to business awards, many in business have preconceived ideas about the process; not based on fact, but bound up in personal beliefs, misinformation, misperceptions, and assumptions.

Here are a few reasons why people don't enter:

• I've not done enough - there are many awards with start-up categories, and working with someone skilled in extracting the info you have hidden deep within your unconscious competencies will help draw this out for you.
• I'm not good enough - that is impostor syndrome talking. Pick up a pen and brain dump all the wins you've had in the past year, and you'll see you are good enough. Go through your calendar, Google yourself, and talk to your clients/customers...until you do that, you cannot say you've not done enough. Don't trust your perspective.
• I don't want to give financial info - most awards I know don't want your figures; only percentage growth or client growth or other achievement markers. There are not many awards that ask for this info.
• It's all about ego - well, maybe some are, but most are a celebration of a business's achievements and accomplishments.
• Awards don't impress my clients - maybe your prospective clients might be impressed - most people are influenced by social proof, and that is what awards are all about. PR is all about perception and putting yourself out there.
• It costs too much - yep, some have an entry fee, some don't. If you have to pay one, count as a marketing cost. Our job in business is to market our business so we are not the best kept secret.
• I'm waiting for someone to nominate me - don't hold your breath, if it is to be, it is up to you. Why wait?
• It's all about showing off - depending on how you look at it. I'm biased - awards are a great opportunity to benchmark, reflect, and step up. What's wrong with celebrating your wins?
• What if I don't win? I'll be embarrassed - maybe you don't win, but I can guarantee your followers and supporters will be impressed you had a go. Who wins everything anyway?
• I'm not sure what to do - ask :) There are plenty of copywriters, and businesses like The Audacious Agency, who specialise in this space.
• I'm too busy, I don't have enough time - see above; outsourcing is your friend.
• My business is too small - there are so many awards for small businesses, from solo businesses to start up to small businesses with 20 employees.
• I don’t do anything glamorous or earth-shattering - there are so many awards for so many industries, niches, and categories, which I guarantee I can find one to fit any business.
• I bet everyone wins or makes the finals - there are some awards that are truly ego-based, but after 10 years of writing submissions, there are far more that have a rigorous process you have to go through. Only the ones who make an effort and meet selection criteria get through.
• I'll wait till next year when I have done more - maybe you will, maybe you will find another reason not to enter. Chances are you have done enough, given the wide variety of awards out there.
• I'll be a judge, so I can see what the process is - awards have clear selection criteria, so you can see what the process is. Being a judge doesn't necessarily make things clearer - judges are human and make human decisions, and what is right for one award may not apply to another.

One thing is certain, if you don't have a go, you'll never know what could be and the impact on your business next year.

Awards are one element of a robust profile building plan. If you want to stand out, you have to be prepared to do things that make you uncomfortable; ah, the joys of small business marketing.

Until you go through the awards process, you've no idea of the serendipitous outcomes awaiting you - the boost to your confidence and your team's insights into your business you'd never have if you hadn't dug deep through the awards process, the gravitas money can't buy, and the credibility that comes from putting your business out there.

What have you got to lose?