Last year we were gratified and honoured to win the Digital and Social Media Award at the Newbury Weekly News’ Best in Business Awards. We found the whole process beneficial for our business and recommend any local business to enter the 2018 awards – click here to enter.
Entry is free, the extended application deadline is Friday 29 June and there are nine categories for you to choose from: Independent Retailer of the Year, Small Business of the Year, Rural Business of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, Customer Service Award, Social Media Award, Innovation in Business Award, Charity or Community Award, Best Regional Event, Best in Business Award.
Completing the application form alone makes you think about – and write down – what your business is really trying to do and how it works. It was a valuable exercise for us to go through. The next step is a face to face interview which we found to be constructive. A tip from our experience is to be honest, don’t pretend to have answers and systems in place if you haven’t got them yet. Acknowledging where improvements need to be made in your business is what they are looking for.
The finale is the awards ceremony and slap-up dinner at Newbury Racecourse on Friday 2 November which is an enjoyable evening paying tribute to the successful businesses in our local area.
It’s an excellent initiative and one which celebrates the diversity of life in West Berkshire. This year’s event is sponsored by West Berkshire Brewery, with individual awards being sponsored by a range of companies including LAUDIS Business Advisors, Greenham Trust, Parkway Newbury and Jones Robinson.
You’ve got to be in to win – and even if you don’t win it’s a worthwhile experience and a good evening out at the end of it.
