Entering business awards is a time consuming process. In many ways it’s a bit like writing your business plan all over again, with many similar questions needing careful thought. If that sounds like a headache you don’t need then why bother at all…
Last week I was fortunate to have my business recognised alongside those of some of our members at an annual business awards dinner in Kent.
For me the main reason for entering the awards was to celebrate the passion we have for what we do! By that I mean most business owners spend every waking hour thinking about their business in some way or another with little or no outside recognition for what we do – that’s one of the main differences that comes with working for yourself – it can be a lonely existence and you can’t rely on the same support network as an employee in the workplace for example!
So, entering your business for an award is a way of giving yourself a much needed pat on the back and taking time to take stock of what you have achieved on a personal level . If someone else on the outside recognises your efforts in addition then so much the better!
Double Kent Independent Traders Awards winner Linda Garcia from Alluxi Consulting (pictured above) had this to say;
“Having to write a submission for an award is a chance to look back and reflect on the positive achievements you’ve added to your business, which helps put things in perspective and just allows yourself a pat on the back – a great self motivator”.
Of course we all hope ultimately that being ‘recognised’ will instantly lead to bigger and better things for our business. The reality of running your own business however is that there is no ‘magic wand’ that you can wave to catapult you from start-up to overnight commercial success.
For me therefore it’s more important to focus on the feeling of self-actualisation – that in a given timeframe, in our case 12 months, we have achieved at least some of our potential and this in turn gives us the motivation to continue and strive for even greater personal success – after all that’s what owning a business is really all about – knowing what is important to you and building your business around this powerful driving force!
Martin White is the Founder of SupplyMyBusiness.co.uk, a B2B platform that connects small businesses in Kent to do business.