Business awards are a powerful tool for building trust and brand credibility, especially in the competitive world we’re in.? For business owners and agency founders, entering awards is often seen as a marketing tool to gain recognition, boost brand awareness, increase team morale and achieve a benchmark of excellence within the company.? However, they often overlook the benefits and value of entering themselves as individuals into awards and not just for their agency.? Here we discuss why agency founders should enter awards for themselves as well as their agency.??
Importance of Entering Awards as a Founder?
- New Opportunities – Awards equal recognition, even by just making it to the shortlist.? When an agency founder enters an award, it not only increases recognition for their business, but it raises their own profile and personal brand, too.? Gaining more recognition as a founder will open new doors and create new opportunities to be seen.? These opportunities can include new partnerships, brand deals and collaborations, speaking engagements, and of course, prospective clients.???
- Enhancing Personal Brand – One’s personal brand holds so much value in today’s world, and winning awards can help to set them apart from in the crowded marketplace.? Clients will often choose people and brands that stand out and feel unique.? Founders can use awards to their advantage by telling their personal story and vision, and creating memorable, lasting relationships within the industry.? Awards highlight not only a founder’s expertise, but their leadership skills and contributions to the industry, too.? Gaining that credibility and level of excellence will show authority and immensely increase reputation.???
- Expanding Visibility – By showcasing personal achievements, not only will the individual gain visibility, but the business will also.? A common misconception is that by entering awards for personal achievements, it will detract from the agency, however, this is not true.? As a founder, they are one of the main faces of their brand and therefore will attract visibility for the agency as well.? Not only that, but people also connect with personality and having that ‘human’ edge to the brand will show authenticity.???
- Inspiring Others – Putting oneself forward for an award is no easy feat, as our founder and director, Lucinda White says "Writing an award for yourself is really hard because we're all very British and don't like saying how fantastic we are.”? Stepping out of the confines of the comfort zone, entering awards as an individual is a very commendable thing – it helps to set an example for others in the industry but also inspires future leaders to prioritise personal and professional growth.?? It’s important as leaders to help build a foundation and culture of showcasing individual achievements, no matter how big or small, and that investing in personal growth is just as significant as focusing on business success.?????
- Attracting Talent – Standing out as a leader within the industry demonstrates to others that you are a good mentor and someone others would want to learn from.? By winning a personal award, it can attract top talent to the team through a commitment to excellence.? A company is only as successful as its team, and being an award-winning leader is certainly a great way of attracting new team members.? Others will be inspired by a founder’s personal growth story and will feel driven to strive for excellence within the field also.???
- Solidifying Reputation – Reputation is everything in this modern world.? Being an award-winning founder reinforces industry reputation and helps to establish an agency’s position within the market.? Clients trust award-winning brands and if a founder is seen to have that mark of excellence behind their name, it only further enhances their agency.???
Most agency founders focus solely on building the brand of their agency, often forgetting that they too, are the face of the brand.? Entering and winning awards as an individual is a way to elevate their agency and their own personal brand, opening doors to new and exciting opportunities for growth and future success.??
Our founder and director, Lucinda White decided to lead by example last year and entered the f:Entrepreneur awards and secured herself a place on the prestigious #ialso100 list for 2024. ??
Here are some of the ways it has elevated her personal brand…?
- Invited to partner on a global awards programme (Cyber Security Awards)?
- Deliver her award workshops to f:entrepreneur community and to the wider network including in-person award writing training (Feb 2025) for Derbyshire businesses?
- 91% increase in turnover compared to last 12 months (Nov-Oct)?
- 5 New associates on board to support growth?
- 60% increase in enquiries through website including large multi-national companies?
- Entrepreneur in Residence with University of Derby – now an Expert in Residence for the Create Growth programme ?
Showcasing individual accomplishments will not only strengthen the reputation and trust of an agency but also inspire those within the industry as well as future generations of leaders.???
Are you an agency founder? Putting yourself forward for awards doesn’t need to be difficult – we’re here to help! Get in touch with us today to start your journey of sharing your achievements in a unique and authentic way.???
