Article contributed by Fiona Powell.
The passing parade of business awards can be overwhelming and at times dulling. So, why would a small business owner bother to undergo any sort of awards ‘process’ when the relative impact of nomination seems blurred in a crowded marketplace?The answer is relatively straight forward – the entry process encourages businesses to thoroughly assess their position. If through this process the business is able to develop a comprehensive strategy and plan, they have killed the proverbial two birds by forming a robust 3-5 year plan, and potentially putting themselves in the running for a share in accolades, media publicity and industry recognition.
For this reason, all business owners, particularly SME and mid-market operators, should occasionally consider entering ONLY those awards or processes which encourage them to examine and scrutinise their business and business objectives.
BNI New Zealand won the VERO Excellence in Business Support Awards, One to Many Offering last year and BNI National Director Graham Southwell says the application process involved “taking the entire company apart bit by bit and looking at systems and processes”. As a result BNI gained new strategic focus and developed a “very in-depth” plan – a key focus of which was to develop and support new regional chapters – like the new BNI Bay of Islands chapter in Keri Keri.
So, for businesses wanting to achieve a watertight annual business plan and undergo a thorough strategic evaluation of their goals and objectives – and how to achieve them – nothing goes past the VERO Excellence in Business Support Awards. Entries for the 2009 Vero Awards are now open and the entry process is robust, comprehensive and globally benchmark-able.
For Awards info and entry forms go to www.excellenceinbusinesssupport.co.nz
