Enterprise Nation

One of the marketing steps we often recommend at Enterprise Nation is for home businesses to enter Awards. Writing the entry helps to clarify the direction of the business and winning can lead to lots of profile. And, to be honest, right now it’s an entrants market as there’s plenty of Awards around.

Winning line-up

Here is a listing of 7 Awards we’ve heard about in the past month or so. Some have a small charge to enter and we’ve profiled them in the order of entry deadline dates.

Women’s Business Awards

As the name implies, this one is only open to our lady readers. The Awards are organised by Carmen MacDougall who runs the VA Coaching & Training Company and winners will be announced at an event on 24th April. Thing is, you’ve only got a couple of days left to enter - closing date is 31st March.

• Womens Business Awards 

Dell Small Business Excellence Awards

Closing date is 3rd April so you’ll need to get your skates on for this one too. The Awards recognise  businesses that apply technology in innovative ways to improve the customer experience and grow. The top winner gets to meet Michael Dell – that’s a prize worth winning.

• Dell Small Business Awards

The Nectar Business Small Business Awards

This one is in its first year. The entry date is 18th May 2009 and the awards acknowledge best practice, great ideas and outstanding achievements in business. All UK SMEs and business entrepreneurs that can demonstrate innovation and brilliant business ideas can enter one of three categories.  Winners receive £2,000 and 50,000 Nectar points.

• The Nectar Small Business Awards

The Pitch 2009

Supported by Dan_Martin who runs Business Zone, this is another new competition that will see five winners go through to a live grand final in London where a victorious entrepreneur will walk away with a package of business support prizes worth £50,000. By the looks of things, you fill in a form and then attend a regional pitching event that are being held from May to July.

• The Pitch 2009

HSBC Start-Up Stars Awards

Call me crazy but I just can’t seem to see a deadline entry date for this one. There’s regular reference to 2nd March but it looks like entries are still open – worth giving it a go! There’s a £55,000 prize fund and £11,000 of Google advertising to be won, plus invaluable exposure via regional and national media through reaching the final stages.

• HSBC Start-Up Stars

Startups Awards

Organised by start-up website, startups.co.uk, these Awards have grown to having a massive 15 categories, including Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Women in Business Award and Green Business of the Year. The Startup of the Year main winner collects a grand price of £5,000. Entry date for 2009 hasn’t yet been set but we’ll release news on the site or via Twitter when they’re launched.

• Start Ups Awards

Enterprise Nation Home Business Awards

We can’t not mention our own Awards! Now in their third year, we’ll be launching the Awards in September and – slightly different timetable from previous years – announcing the winner on Friday 20th November. There’s a reason for announcing the winner on this date and all will be revealed soon as to why.

Do you know of any other Awards we should be announcing to home businesses? If so, please let us know here in the comments, or in the forum.

If you enter, wishing you the best of luck!  - Emma Jones