Entering awards is a great opportunity to generate positive PR about your business and also provides you with the opportunity to network with other businesses.

To make sure you reach the final shortlist, here are some top tips to ensure your entry stands out to the judges!

 

1. Pick the right category to enter

Many awards can have 10, 15 or even 20 categories to choose from so you want to make sure you are picking the right one for your story. Small Business of the Year and New Business of the Year tend to be the most popular categories in our business awards so make sure you also consider entering more industry or project specific categories such as Innovation of the Year, Green Business or Entrepreneur of the Year.

2. Check the rules

There will be terms and conditions for any awards entry process to ensure fairness amongst entries. Ensure you make a note of the deadline, any restrictions on eligibility or number of categories a business can enter, plus details of the shortlisting process and awards ceremony.

3. Read the criteria

Use the criteria of the category to structure your entry. Pick out key words - these will tell you what the judges want to hear from you so make sure you don't miss anything out! Ensure each submission relates to the specific criteria if you are entering more than 1. Avoid repeating a submission across multiple categories otherwise the judges may overlook them.

4. Plan your time

It's unlikely that you will be able to write a winning entry in 30 minutes, so give yourself plenty of time to perfect your submission. Do what works best for you. Block off an entire day to tackle writing if you need to or allocate slots in your diary to write in bursts. Ensure you give yourself enough time for planning, writing and editing.

5. Tell a story

Think about what you want the judges to learn about your business when they're reading your submission. Take them through the stages of your success to bring out an emotive response.

6. Use the full word count

The word count is a great indication of the amount of detail the judges are expecting to make an informed decision when deciding on the shortlist. Aim to submit at least 90% of the word count to ensure you tell the judges everything they need to know.

7. Avoid jargon

While many judging panels are made up of business professionals and industry experts, all types of organisations are encouraged to enter our awards and therefore could be inclined to use wording, phrases or acronyms that are not necessarily common terms. When writing your entry, think about the person reading your submission and make it as easy for them to read and understand your story.

8. Include statistics

Stats, quotes and percentages are great tools to back up the points in your story! If you can demonstrate measurable improvements or provide testimonials from customers, the judges will see this as proof of success which boosts the credibility of your claims.

9. Upload supporting evidence

Many awards give the option to upload supporting evidence which further backs up your written submission. This can be imagery, testimonials or quotes, screen grabs, charts or graphs etc. Don't use this as a place to provide further wording as it will not be marked as part of your entry but will be taken into account by the judges to support your submission. Our portal allows 1 pdf file to be uploaded which can consist of a maximum of 3 a4 pages.

10. Meet the deadline

The most important element when entering awards! If you miss the deadline, you miss out on the opportunity to win. We always encourage our entrants to submit in good time. This allows your business to get the most exposure before the awards as our editorial teams often like to write stories about entrants in the run up to the deadline! Don't forget you can always edit your entries right up until the closing date if you've forgotten anything.

 

If you need any extra help with your entry, we work with Lucinda White at Pure Awards Creative who specialises in awards entry writing and offers a number of services to help you write a top entry.

 

May 2019 marked the 10th Anniversary of our black tie Sunshine Ball at the iconic Midland Hotel, Morecambe, celebrating the fantastic local community.

Eric Morecambe was the inspiration for the the Sunshine Awards; taking place around his birthday each year and rewarding the businesses and individuals that bring sunshine and happiness into the lives of the local community inspired by the infamous song...

Bring me sunshine
In your smile
Bring me laughter
All the while
In this world where we live
There should be more happiness
So much joy you can give
To each brand new bright tomorrow.

 

 

Established in 2009, The Sunshine Awards has become a favourite annual event within the community across the Bay Area and an unmissable date in The Visitor's events calendar.

Each year, more and more local businesses support the event with our headline sponsor, Wright & Lord Solicitors, being associated for a number of years.

Nominations for the awards launched in February 2019 inviting readers to submit their nominations in categories including Unsung Hero, Young Achiever, Good Neighbour Award and Community Group Award. We are always overwhelmed with nominations and it is always a very difficult decision for our judges to whittle the shortlist nominees!

 

The guest list is comprised of our sponsors, shortlisted finalists and invited guests. This year 200 people joined us at the Midland Hotel for a glittering four course gala dinner, set off with a sparkling drinks reception and a white grand piano played by the hotel's resident pianist.

Sunflowers are synonymous with the Sunshine Awards bringing happiness to the overall feel of the event. Our sunflower centrepieces were provided by a fabulous local florist. Entertainer, Stuart Michaels added to the uplifting theme of the event with his inspiring live performance!

The evening finished with the Ambassador Award which was awarded posthumously to a local boy from Overton; Reece Holt.Reece was only thirteen years old when he sadly passed away in January due to a brain tumour but had raised £100,000’s to help children with similar life threatening diseases. The award was very moving and the whole room stood up clapping with an emotional standing ovation.

This 10th anniversary is going to be a challenge to improve on next year, however I am confident we will deliver once again above and beyond the Sunshine Awards 2020!