You’re an individual or firm doing remarkable things in the Aycliffe business world – but how do you get well-deserved recognition for your efforts?
An easy way is to enter the Make Your Mark Awards, which reflect the breadth of business brilliance we have across Aycliffe Business Park.
Simply by entering, you put yourself in line for invaluable publicity, inclusion in Aycliffe Business articles and, potentially, a finalist’s place on the big night.
And you might even find yourself proudly clutching one of the coveted trophies.
The awards offer a low-cost, high-visibility chance to take credit for the work you and your colleagues are doing, and to elevate you or your company’s profile.
They’re easy to enter, too – simply find the awards you want to enter on the Aycliffe Business Park website and click on the category you want to enter.
But to give yourself the best chance of impressing the judges and perhaps even winning your category, here’s a few simple tips on how to approach the entry process.
Be detailed: Remember, the shortlisting judges – all made up of category sponsors – possibly know little, if anything, about your business, so don’t assume that they do. This is the only chance you have to impress them, so serve up plenty of facts – and hopefully, those facts will speak for themselves!
Use the full word count: Again, the more information the judges have in front of them, the more they’ll learn about you or your business and the brilliant things it does. Detailed answers backed up by strong evidence and examples are usually the most successful in the shortlisting stage.
Make it easy to read: Avoid dry or overly complicated language and steer clear of jargon.
Always be truthful: You’re pitching to fellow businesses so if you start embroidering the truth, the chances are they’ll smell a rat!
Don’t be shy: Avoid being boastful, but make sure you detail your highlights and achievements.
Proofread your application: Your entry reflects your organisation, so the last thing you want is for it to seem hurried and be littered with mistakes. The standard of entries is always high, with little to choose between them, so don’t let little errors that are easily avoided hamper your chances.
Read the criteria and eligibility guidelines: There’s no point entering if you’ve chosen the wrong category, or you’re ineligible because you don’t quite fit the entry requirements. But when it comes to categories, consider if you can enter more than one – you can enter up to three, as long as you satisfy the criteria.
So, they are just a few ways you can enhance your chances of awards success, but one thing is for certain – if you don’t enter, you definitely won’t win!
Nominations are open for the 2025 Make Your Mark Awards – so there’s no time like the present to get those entries compiled and submitted.
And good luck!
See the online entry forms and criteria here: aycliffebusinesspark.co.uk/awards/