So pleased and proud to have been a finalist in this year’s Kent Women in Business Awards a week ago today.  I was honoured to have been part of such a wonderful event celebrating the successes of so many inspiring women across Kent just one day after International Women’s Day.  Personally, it was actually pretty humbling to have been nominated and named as a finalist after only one year of being freelance and running my own business.  I was especially delighted as two of my clients were winners in their categories and a number of my friends and ‘business-family’ were also successful as runners-up or finalists.

Entering awards can be a daunting business for the uninitiated, some require detailed answers to tricky questions regarding growth, turnover, future plans, contribution to the community etc.  Time is precious and you’ll probably find that you’re asking yourself if you can really afford to spend the time required to fill in the form properly.  But don’t let that put you off.  My advice would be to not be afraid to ask for help if you need it.  Always consider asking someone with experience of completing such forms to make sure you are answering the questions in a relevant way.  Be proud of your achievements.  Don’t be shy and backwards in coming forwards, judges want to know why you should win the award, so consider what makes you different and special, but don’t stretch the truth, as you will probably be found out if you do!  And keep an eye on the word count – if the form says no more than 300 words for any particular question, don’t write 350! Also, read the small print, sometimes you can add supporting documentation such as testimonials and examples.

So, the next time an awards event comes around, go for it if it relevant and appropriate to your business, local area and your target audience. You don’t have to win an award for it to be of value to your business.  Just being nominated in the first place, let alone being a finalist or winner, will demonstrate to potential clients that you are considered one of the best at what you do. If you would like ideas of what Kent-based awards are coming up, please click here for a listing I have collated.