It seems really obvious, but being organised will pave the way for a stress-free, and ultimately superior, Award entry.

What do I mean by being organised? Let me share my top ten organisation tips that will get you on your way to enjoying the submission of a standout entry.

  1. Log in to the portal now. Not later this week. Not tomorrow. And heaven forbid, not when you set aside a couple of hours to work on your entry. Do it right NOW. Why? Because technology, for all its virtues, is frequently not your friend. Don’t let password problems be a barrier to working on your entry. If you should encounter password reset problems, visit the Awards contacts page for who to call for help.
  2. Download the Award Entry Information Pack. Learn about the Awards entry process. Read our tips on writing a great entry. Understand how judging works. See what categories there are to enter and read the questions.
  3. Carefully consider which categories you are going to enter. Don’t spend time trying to bend to fit a category that doesn’t really fit with your business or your objectives. Judges have said that it’s really obvious when businesses are trying to do this, and it doesn’t make you stand out in a good way.
  4. Start jotting down dot points about the things you want to talk about. Use Trello or Notepad or Evernote or your organising app of choice to keep all your thoughts in one place. Ask people in and around your business for their input. Do this on the fly anytime you think of something you should include in your entry. You’ll find it much easier than sitting down with a blank screen and starting your entry under pressure.
  5. Set aside 1-2 specific times each week for the three (ok two and a half) weeks remaining to work on your entry. Plan ahead for that time. What do you need prepared ahead of that time to be productive? Reports? Files? Access to other people? Your bookkeeper/accountant/lawyer/business partner? Make sure you have what you need to make the most of that time.
  6. Don’t write your entry in the portal. Write it first in Notepad/Wordpad so you can save it and access it offline. You don’t want to be writing your life’s best work in an online system that is subject to the connectivity challenges of the internet. Why Notepad and not Word? The portal only accepts plain text, not rich or HTML text. This means that if you use any sort of Word formatting that the portal doesn’t recognise, you could end up with formatting challenges that take up more of your time.
  7. Once you’ve written it, copy it across into the portal. Then download the PDF and review it as one whole document. It’s incredible how different words on a page can look in a different format.
  8. Aim to ‘finish’ it at least a week before the Awards close (5.00pm, 30th June). That way you have time to go away and come back to read it with fresh eyes before submission. Time away from your thoughts will give you new clarity on what you have said, and will propel you to refine your words.
  9. Look at your financials. If they’re not in order, now is a good time to get up to date. Judges will ask you about this.
  10. And last, but most importantly, do not leave it til the last minute! The portal will close at 5.00pm on Thursday 30 June, no exceptions. The judging process starts on this evening, so no extensions will be permitted. Expect that the portal will get busy on 29 and 30 June, with both the Western Sydney Business Awards and Shoalhaven Business Awards closing on those two dates, respectively.

Good luck! And enjoy the process.

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