In his regular column for Caerphilly Observer, Caerphilly Business Forum’s chair Tony Sheehan looks ahead to the close of nominations to this year’s forum awards.
Over the years the Caerphilly Business Forum Awards have turned up some truly inspirational companies and as the awards deadline approaches, I have been hearing from a number of past winners about how the awards have helped them. It has been wonderful to get a first-hand view of what these awards can actually help people to achieve.
Something that keeps cropping up is that before they entered people weren’t convinced that they were ‘good enough’. These awards were set up to build moral in Caerphilly businesses so I would say to anyone unsure about entering, if you have a business that you have set up and it is thriving, of course it is good enough!
In the words of last year’s Women in Business winner Esther Apoussidis, owner of Coffee Continental in Blackwood: “It was only when someone else pointed out all the hurdles that I had overcome that I decided to have a go. Goodness knows, I never thought I would win! I was just so happy to be a finalist.”
So, I would urge businesses to see these awards as an opportunity to look back at the past few years and take stock of all that they’ve achieved. I think they will soon see that it is far more than they thought.
If nothing else, the awards dinner is a fantastic night and a great excuse to celebrate your staff and your business!
To give people a helping hand, here are some tips from judges and past winners:
Tell us in no uncertain terms why you deserve to win
Don’t leave your entry to the last minute – if you rush it just won’t be as strong
Make sure you read the entry form carefully
Let us know about the challenges you have overcome – this will make your success all the more impressive
Don’t be modest – this is a great opportunity to show off, take it!
Keep your entry clear and easy to read
Prove it – give us evidence of your success so we can see it in black and white
Tell us whether you have achieved your goals
Give us specific examples not just general statements
Proof read your entry and make sure there are no simple mistakes
To enter the awards, simply go to www.cbforum.co.uk and download an entry form. Entry is free and the deadline is September 21. Good luck.
Tony Sheehan
Chairman, Caerphilly Business Forum
For more information about Caerphilly Business Forum and its events call 029 2125 1395 or email Natalie@cbforum.co.uk