Each year, hundreds of businesses across our province test themselves against the best of BC’s small business community by entering the Small Business BC Awards. Throughout the process, they uncover valuable insights about their operation, they receive the support of their communities, and they leave inspired to elevate themselves to new heights.

While only one business can be successful in each of our categories, every single entrant reaps the rewards of taking part in this high profile and exciting awards competition.

At Small Business BC, we believe these entrepreneurs deserve our recognition and admiration. After all, they make our communities such uniquely special places to live, work and play. Why not inspire your business, or a business you love, to new heights by nominating it for a Small Business BC Award? Here are just some of the benefits you’ll enjoy from taking part.

Celebrate Your Achievements

We know entrepreneurs well enough to understand they can often be guilty of not seeing the big picture. They pour their heart and soul into their business but never take a step back to appreciate what they’ve achieved. Putting together a nomination for the Small Business BC Awards forces the nominee to look at the big picture, take stock of how the business got to this point, and plot a course towards future success. Not only is this action a chance to appreciate what you’ve achieved, it’s also a powerful motivator for future growth and success.

Step up Your Marketing

It’s a cluttered media landscape out there and there’s never been more competition for eyeballs. Getting your business noticed can be a tricky task. Previous nominees in the Small Business BC Awards have received wide-ranging media mentions, popping up in The Vancouver Sun, BC Business, Prince George Citizen, and Whistler Pique News. Interested in sharing your story? We regularly feature Awards participants here on the Small Business BC website.

Increase Your Credibility

You already know your business is amazing. Our Awards let you back up that claim, Imagine having the ability to approach clients and prospective partners with the credibility you’d receive as a Small Business BC Awards winner? Tyson Still, Co-Founder of Winecrush, describes the impact of winning a Small Business BC Award on his company:

“Having the SBBC ‘Best Concept Winner’ banner on all our marketing was huge for Winecrush. It really gets the conversation going deeper with clients and customers, and people took us much more seriously after winning, especially as our concept had never been done before. The success we’ve had as a result is clear.”

Recruitment and Retention

The recognition of the Small Business BC Awards isn’t just great for an entrepreneur, it’s also an incredible validation of the efforts of each team member. Having their work celebrated will provide an invaluable morale boost to staff. Knowing they contributed to a winner is a great motivator to continue performing in their roles. When it comes to hiring, being able to call yourself one of the best small businesses in BC can’t hurt either.

Make Industry Contacts

Each year, over 600 businesses are nominated for a Small Business BC Award. Many of these businesses develop mutually beneficial working relationships. In fact, it’s one of the most rewarding aspects for us of hosting the awards. Don’t miss out on this invaluable networking opportunity. This community of amazing businesses will instantly expand your network and potential business development pipeline.

Level the Playing Field

When we think of small business, we define it as a business with less than 50 employees. This is an extremely broad characterization. Our Awards effectively level the playing field, allowing solo entrepreneurs to compete side-by-side with much larger businesses. When we’re assessing our finalists, we don’t discriminate based on size. If you’re a solo entrepreneur doing amazing work, you have just as much chance to win as a business with 50 team members.

Brand Awareness

Throughout our Awards process, nominees enhance their brand awareness in several effective ways. Once nominated, you can reintroduce your business to your community and invite them to vote for you. Our Awards also potentially put your business in front of an influential judging panel made up of industry experts. Standing out in this field can open so many doors for your business.

Benchmarking

Unsure of how you stack up against the competition? Our Awards provide a litmus test for your business, comparing you against other incredible businesses in your field. This will help you identify greater efficiencies, spot areas for improvement, and provide impetus for growing your business. For many of our nominees, this benefit can be more valuable than the prize itself.

Educational Opportunities

Did you know that each winner of a Small Business BC Award is presented with a one-year all-access pass to Small Business BC’s educational programming? This means you can attend all our webinars, Talk to an Expert sessions and our advisories for one year, completely FREE. No matter what area of expertise you need support in, our expert team can help elevate your business to new heights. Start attacking your growth goals and lean on the Small Business BC team to help.

Inspiration

Just taking part in competitions like our annual Awards is inspiring. You’ll share in the successes of businesses across our province, hear their stories, learn and make lifelong connections. Every single entrepreneur involved in our awards has put countless hours into their business. Take a moment to share in their success and leave inspired anew to start achieving your goals. This awards competition exists for businesses like yours. We would love to see you take part!