5 steps to setting yourself up for a winning 2023

If one of your business goals for 2023 is to nominate for an award, then now is a great time to set yourself up for success. Entering business awards is a fantastic way to market yourself and your brand–often with little or no financial outlay. I always say, business awards are worth the effort. 

Not sure what awards are available? I’ve put together a list of over 100 awards you can enter - and we’re adding to it all the time. Sign-up to access it here. 

Whether you’ve entered awards before, or this is your first rodeo, here are my top four tips for getting prepared for a win in 2023. 

Put some dates in the diary

While not all dates and deadlines for 2023 award programs are live yet, you can still pencil in rough dates based on the 2022 dates if there are a few awards in particular you’d love to go for. Pencil these into your 2023 plans now, so that it’s less of a mad rush to the deadline when the time comes in the new year. Those deadlines feel like a long way away, but they always come up quickly. 

Start gathering evidence

Start a list of what you and your business have achieved in the last 12 months - gathering data around your finances, your customer numbers, project numbers, year on year growth. Think about the impact your business has made on your clients or customers. What milestones and successes did you achieve? Remember to include any community and volunteering efforts – these are just as significant and help round out your business values. 

Grab a few client testimonials

Don’t be shy about asking current and former clients for their feedback, telling them it’s to potentially enter an award is a great motivator to get them written. This is handy not just for award submissions, but also for your marketing and social media plans. Some awards will require a reference; start thinking about who you could ask – eg current or past clients,sub-contractors, mentors, mentees or colleagues. 

Check your financial documents are in order

Some awards will require you to present basic financial documents such as a profit and loss statement. Having these ready to go can make the process smoother. Assessing the financial health of your business is a benefit of entering awards, and up-to-date financials help you have a clear picture of where you stand. If you don’t have clear-cut growth in your financials, that’s ok - perhaps you’ve struggled due to staff shortages, supply chain delays or increasing competition - as long as you have a strong story to tell, you could still be a winner. 

Know your elevator pitch

Knowing how you’d describe your business in under 60 seconds becomes the core of your award responses. It can also act as a reminder around your “why” and what values are important to you and your brand. This can help inform your award submission answers to give a big-picture view and clarify your motivations.

Whichever awards you decide to enter in 2023, remember it’s not just about winning - awards are a great exercise in creating great written content about your business, and reflecting on your achievements. If the idea of writing an award entry has you coming out in a cold sweat, or you’re just to time-poor to give it the attention it deserves, book in a chat. 

I’d love to discuss how we can help your business shine and get the recognition you deserve in 2023 (and beyond).