Q:
I am the Marketing Director of an online stationery store. We’ve been growing 30% year on year. The founder of the business has done a remarkable job building the company. I think we are in a good place to enter business awards, but my colleagues are not so sure. My philosophy is ‘you have to be in it to win it’. How can I get them on the same page?

We ask Mohammed Hussain, Mobile Fun MD and winner of Online Retail, Mobile News and Institute of Directors Awards, for his advice

Mohammed Hussain says…
With 30% growth year on year you sound like you have a business with a great success story to publicise, and you will be in with a good chance of winning an award.

Obviously if the business was under-performing, winning an award is less likely, and not going to do you much good either, so timing the entry is everything. Awards are a great, cost effective way to raise the profile of the company and tap into as much free publicity as possible.

Award entries take considerable time to prepare so do not underestimate this commitment, and make sure the other Directors are OK with this.

They may be asked to contribute their time, so remember to re-iterate the benefits of entry. These benefits are not necessarily all about sales and recognition with the public, as for us it was as much about recognition with suppliers.

Your purchasing Director might be supportive if an award brought them better trade terms or opened the door to new suppliers, for example.

Read more about Mo Hussain’s Award wins