You are probably hard at work promoting your business (and if you're not, you should be!), but if you haven't submitted your profile to any contests yet, you may be missing a golden opportunity.
Receiving an award for your business can increase your company's credibility. Winners can brand their businesses as "Award Winning" in subsequent advertising and often receive a logo or emblem to note the achievement on web pages and promotional materials. Participating in events like these can generate valuable exposure to the business community and the media loves to cover these events and often interviews participants for stories. Even if you don't win, simply participating could open doors you didn't even know existed.
Your local chamber of commerce, small business administration center or trade association may sponsor an awards event. Many contests charge an entry fee so you must weigh the cost against the value of participating. If the rewards and/or exposure are great, the entry fee can easily pay for itself. There are also a number of events that you can enter online. Here are a few to consider:
The Small Biz Games
(http://www.SmallBizGames.com) offers cash prizes from $500 to $2000 for winners in categories such as Entrepreneur of the Year, Best Internet Business of the Year, Best New Company of the Year, Best New Product of the Year, and Most Creative Marketing Campaign. Winners will be honored at an awards dinner at a small business conference in Las Vegas with keynote speaker Jay Conrad Levinson (author of the ever popular Guerrilla Marketing series of books). Deadline for entry is December 31, 2005.
The Webby Awards
(http://www.WebbyAwards.com) are presented by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence in website design. There are over sixty categories including Arts, Blog, Community, Events, Games, Lifestyle, Health, Sports, Travel, and Weird. The deadline for 2005 has already passed, but you can sign up on their website for notification of future contest details.
The Stevies Awards for Women Entrepreneurs
(http://www.StevieAwards.com) honors winners from 18 categories including Best Company, Best Entrepreneur, Best New Product, Lifetime Achievement, and Women Helping Women. This contest is open to all U.S. based women-owned businesses with fewer than 100 employees. The 2005 contest details should be announced soon and there is an opt-in mailing list on their site for notifications.
The folks at InsideBlogging.com hosted their first Business Blogging Awards (http://www.businessbloggingawards.com/) in 2005. Some of the categories included Best Blogs: Overall, Entrepreneur, Leadership, Marketing, About Small Business, and PR. The prizes were donated by sponsors and the winners were selected by voters from the public, providing great exposure to entrants. Watch for updates from this site and an announcement on a new contest for Technology Awards.
While entering awards may not be a traditional venue for marketing your business, it can certainly pay off in exposure and other opportunities. The best strategy is to enter these contests early, be thorough with the details, and participate in any events or forums offered by the hosts. This is a great chance to "sell" your business to the public so be sure to word your entries carefully. Use the opportunity to network with other businesses and make new connections. Soon your advertising strategy may shift to hype your "Award Winning" business.
Stephanie Chandler is the author of "The Business Startup Checklist and Planning Guide: Seize Your Entrepreneurial Dreams!" and the founder of http://www.businessinfoguide.com, a directory of free resources for entrepreneurs. Sign up for the BusinessInfoGuide newsletter to receive hot resources and tips every month.
same day cleaning service Bannockburn ..With the massive explosion of start-ups and home businesses developing,... Read More
1. Leadership Is Learned ? While many people appear to... Read More
If you want to start a business in 2005, and... Read More
Time. As a small business owner, it's the commodity you... Read More
Buyers want both online and local information about where to... Read More
If you own a Pressure Washing Company and wish to... Read More
$elling $elling $ellingWhat makes a great sales person? Well, the... Read More
More sales and more profit. Isn't that what you want... Read More
Sometimes when you run a business you feel as lonely... Read More
Why should you always maintain a good report with a... Read More
A career coach could be simply defined your job seeking... Read More
If you are worried about how many different business cards... Read More
What will your business look like a year from today?If... Read More
Canon City, Colorado is known for it's 6 Prisons; State... Read More
Approximately 200,000 new businesses are started each year. More people... Read More
How careful are you with the data you collect from... Read More
How do marine type businesses start? Have you ever thought... Read More
When you awoke this morning, you found yourself buzzing with... Read More
It behooves every professional mobile auto detailer to stay up... Read More
When should you leverage the relationship?Leveraging sometimes brings a negative... Read More
There is significant competition in auto detailing and car washing.... Read More
Running a business on the net these days can be... Read More
Continuing from the second article:6. About the aground mathematical model,... Read More
SBIR vs. STTR: If you are participating in the SBIR... Read More
Free money! Receive up to $25,000 that never has to... Read More
housekeepers near Deerfield ..If you plan to do business online, then your website... Read More
You've been meaning to tend to the administration part of... Read More
Your business is making profits, but where is the cash?... Read More
What is a Family Business? A family business is basically... Read More
If you are the boss and you think your job... Read More
Shopping for a franchise is easy if you know what... Read More
New Franchisors and Entrepreneurs need to watch out as they... Read More
How often have you thumbed through a business opportunity magazine,... Read More
In the 2003 Auto Laundry News Survey it was determined... Read More
Aside from the fear of losing a spreadsheet or research... Read More
Scenario OneDuring a recent presentation, a business owner was given... Read More
You are selling your small business (business value under $1... Read More
The Federal Trade Commission decided to sit down and revamp... Read More
Is this you?You dreamed of owning your own business, doing... Read More
CONSIDERATIONS FOR YOUR INTERN: Specify the number of hours the... Read More
You've heard marketing and advertising gurus quip, "Sell the sizzle,... Read More
It appears the mini-blimp indoor theme and concept is making... Read More
What is a Virtual Assistant?? A Virtual Assistant is that... Read More
The book, "Become the Squeaky Wheel," by New Hampshire author... Read More
Think of your business as a living, breathing, organism. It... Read More
Writing a business plan is a fundamental step to ensuring... Read More
Just when the entire state was kissing Wichita goodbye, economically... Read More
BioTechs even with the latest news had shed over 1000... Read More
I frequently give presentations at small business gatherings, providing me... Read More
Franchising Directory Sites-Paid Advertising, Lead Generation for FranchisingFranchising Directory Sites... Read More
Small Business |