Year on year the quality of entrants to the Midlands Business Awards gets higher. To enable entrants to improve their chances of being short-listed we have provided this short guide on what will make your entry stand out, and how to avoid the most common problems.
Midlands Entrepreneur of the Year
Do
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Detail how your entrepreneurial skills have led to business growth
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Show how you have taken your idea(s) to the Market & made it successful
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Outline the challenges/risks you have faced & overcome to achieve success
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Provide financial information on the business growth achieved (or projected)
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What is your strategy for the next 1 to 5 years
Don't
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Just detail what you have done without explaining how it has led to business growth
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Submit the same entry form for the Business person Category
Midlands Young Entrepreneur of the Year
Do
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Detail how your entrepreneurial skills have led to business growth
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Show how you have taken your idea(s) to the Market & made it successful
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Outline the challenges/risks you have faced & overcome to achieve success
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Provide financial information on the business growth achieved (or projected)
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What is your strategy for the next 1 to 5 years
Don't
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Just detail what you have done without explaining how it has led to business growth
Midlands Family Business of the Year
Do
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Provide evidence that your business involves two or more family members and the majority or control lies within a family
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Explain your business products or services and demonstrate how the add value to your customers
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Demonstrate the growth of your company
Don't
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Provide us with a list of family members and their role in the company
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Just provide a list of your services
Midlands Service Provider of the Year
Do
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Detail specifically how you have helped your customers
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Provide feedback from clients
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Detail how providing excellent service has helped to grow your business
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Explain how you excel at customer service
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What staff training do you / your company provide to ensure excellent service at all times
Don't
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Just list the services you provide
Midlands Innovation of the Year
Do
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Detail your product/service and the specific aspects of why you believe it is innovative
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Detail how the innovation has (or will) benefit customers or society
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Detail how the innovation has helped to grow your business (or will grow in the future)
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What problem/s does your innovation/product solve & how did you come up with the idea
Don't
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Just list the features of your product/service
Midlands University of the Year
Do ....................University Entrepreneurship...............
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Detail how many business start-ups / Spin out Companies you have created
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What Patents have been registered
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Detail the sales or other tangible benefits of the help you have provided
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Detail anything that you believe is uniquely enterprising compared to other universities
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Outline any Business benefits identified by the HEI
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Give details of the Institutional Leadership driving Enterprise and Entrepreneurship
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Outline Entrepreneurial outcomes for Staff, students and Graduates
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Outline details of Consultancy provided
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Show proof of CPD
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Identify the delivery of Regional and National Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Goals
Don't
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Just detail the services and grants you offer
Do..........University Innovation.............
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Detail anything that you believe is uniquely Innovative compared to other universities.
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Outline any Technological Developments you have made
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Demonstrate the impact of Innovation on Policy
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Demonstrate the Impact of Innovation on Practices
Don't
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Just detail the services and grants you offer
Midlands Manufacturer of the Year
Do
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Provide details of the size and the growth of your Company
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What do you manufacture & in what quantities
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Outline the size of your target market
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What challenges have you faced & overcome
Don't
Midlands International Trade of the Year
Do
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Provide a summary of the products you are exporting and to which Countries.
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How much of your turnover is Export
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Detail the financial impact exporting has had on your business
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Detail any challenges you have successfully overcome, and strategies you have used to grow your export business
Don't
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Just outline your products functions
Midlands Business Person of the Year
Do
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Detail the business success you have had and your specific role in making it happen
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Detail how you have helped others to develop and/or grow
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Detail anything you believe is unique about your approach to business
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What is your personal Strategy for the next 3 – 5 Years
Don't
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Just provide details of your company
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Submit the same entry as for Entrepreneur of the Year
Midlands Corporate Commitment to the Community Award
Do
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Explain your programmes and how they have benefited the community
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Show how they are sustainable
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Do you have plans that you want to implement in the future
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What challenges have you faced and how have you overcome these
Don't
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Just provide details of your company.
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Submit the same entry as for Entrepreneur of the Year
Midlands Digital Communications of the Year
Do
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Explain how your project from brief, proposal and delivery and how it has lead the way
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Provide evidence of how your project has benefit your clients
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Explain how you overcame any challenges
Don't
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Just provide a list of your campaigns
Midlands PR Company of the Year
Do
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Explain your campaign strategy and creative execution
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Give detail of how the campaign has successfully supported your clients including the measurement of success
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Detail what challenges have you faced and how you have overcome these
Don't
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Just provide a list of your services and campaigns