How It Works
The annual Small Business BC Awards is back to celebrate businesses from all industries, communities, and cultures across British Columbia. Discover how simple it is to enter, and what to expect at every step of the journey.
The Small Business BC Awards recognize the contributions and achievements of BC small business owners – entrepreneurs just like you. Our Awards are free to enter, but the experience is priceless. There are a few ways you can participate.
- The Premier’s People’s Choice Award is our category solely decided by popular vote.
Complete the nomination form, we’ll publish your submission to our website, and all you have to do is get as many votes as possible. It’s simple, the business with the most votes wins and will take home a $5,000 cash prize at the Awards Reception in November.
- The Business Pitch categories are our award categories decided by popular vote and a pitch to our judging panel.
Complete the nomination form, we’ll publish your submission to our website, and get as many votes as possible. We’ll tally the votes, and if you make our Top 5, you’ll present a pitch to our panel of judges explaining why your business should win. First place in each category will take home a $5,000 cash prize at the Awards Reception in November.
The Top 3 in each category will also receive:
- a professionally filmed video profiling their business
- a year of free education and advisory services from SBBC
- free tickets to the awards reception at the Convention Centre
- digital and in-person brand exposure to business, government, and community leaders throughout BC and Canada
If you’re looking for a unique way to show off your small business, why not enter BC’s premier competition for small businesses? Or, if there’s a business you love, now’s your chance to let them know about the Awards and show your support.
Awards Timeline 2024
Nominations and Voting – June 18 – August 16
Top 5 Announcement & Business Pitches – Late August/Early September
Top 3 Announcement – Mid-September
Awards Reception at Vancouver Convention Centre – November 1
Frequently Asked Questions
How are Small Business BC Award winners chosen?
This year, we’re offering four categories, and the process works differently depending on the category.
Our Premier’s People’s Choice Award is decided entirely by a public vote.
Our three Business Pitch Categories (Business Impact Award, Best Youth Entrepreneur, and E-Commerce Experience Award) are decided based on a combination of votes received as well as the content of their application. The Top 5 Finalists in these three categories will be required to make a ten-minute pitch to a panel of business experts, explaining why their business should win the award.
You can enter the Premier’s People’s Choice Award and one of three Business Pitch Categories.
Why can my business only enter two categories?
Keeping to a maximum of two categories allows each business to focus their efforts and prevent their vote from being split. It also gives more businesses across our province an opportunity to win.
How will judges assess my nomination?
When completing your nomination, the answers you provide will be examined as part of our judging process, along with your votes, to determine the top 5 finalists in each category. Don’t be shy in sharing your successes!
See each of our individual category pages for criteria and further details.
Will the number of votes be published on the site or made available to nominees?
No. Vote tallies will not be made public on the Small Business BC website or made available to nominees. Because a normalization calculation (see the next question) is applied to the votes to determine the Top 5 finalists, pure vote numbers are not indicative of performance in the competition.
How does the Vote Normalization process work?
We understand that all BC communities are different sizes and that different businesses have different sized networks. To level the playing field, votes will be normalized against British Columbia Regional District Population Figures.
Once I submit my nomination, can I go back and edit it?
If you made a mistake or typo in your nomination form and realize after submission, you can edit your submission by logging into your account.
Once my nomination is published, how do I get people to vote for me?
Once your nomination is published, you’ll be given a dedicated page on this site where you can send your supporters to vote for you. Brag about your business through social media, e-mail and on-site promotions. Let your customers, employees and colleagues know about your nomination through whatever ways you can think of. Don’t be afraid to shout it from the rooftops.
Remember, the deadline for votes is August 16, 2024.
If I nominate a business, is my name kept confidential?
It’s entirely up to you. When you nominate a business, you have the option to remain anonymous, or to give permission to us to share your name with the business should they request it.
Are graphics available to help me promote the Awards and my nomination?
Yes. Download our Nominee Kit to find shareable graphics and suggested messaging.
Nominate your business, or your favourite business, for a Small Business BC Award
