When I had the opportunity in 2014 to come back and work for Simmark (my dad’s company at the time) the last thing I could have imagined was entering into the Shoalhaven Business awards.

I know what you are thinking…….

Another thing to worry about amongst all the other ‘busy work’ that would engulf your day. Having to sit there, at the computer and carefully write ‘why my business should deserve to win’ when deep down you know there are always things that need to be fixed and the email overwhelm continues to grow.

Another day where you needed to dress in the best uniform and ‘sell’ the business vision, ideas and processes to judges whom you may or may not have met before. Walking out knowing you stumbled on the words that you had practiced over and over again and that feeling of ‘I should have said this’.

Then the awards night, not one to wear suits often (my work uniform is a pair of shorts and shirt all year round) you scrounge around to find the itchy suit you forgot to get dry cleaned after the last wedding  OR WORST STILL, have to go buy a new suit just for the occasion.

Then there is the anxiety of sitting there waiting for your name to be called in the nominations. You place yourself at arm’s length to the process despite you being hopeful that your business would stand up to the other fantastic applicants, you know deep down that you know it could be a lot better.

Then the announcer makes the call:

“And the Winner for Customer Service 2015 is……. Simmark!”

Despite the number of road blocks along the way and the constant thought in the back of your mind saying “I have got too much work for this stuff” the thrill of being recognised at the Shoalhaven Business Awards is hard to put into words. Knowing that other people have understood your business vision and have considered it worthy for recognition really puts this whole idea of ‘business’ into perspective. It’s not only about turnover, profits and dividends; it’s about whether the customer understands why you do business which ultimately should come before anything else.

To put it simply, the process is about packaging your vision for business in such a way that people can relate to. Create the vision and the rest will follow!

If you are reading this, you must be considering entering and; after being involved in the awards for the last three years, winning two awards and now representing the awards as an ambassador I strongly suggest you give it a go.

This year, more than ever before; there is so much support for new business to enter in the awards. If you find that writing down your ideas is the challenging part, the Business Chamber will be running workshops on all categories, giving you an insider’s understanding into what exactly they are looking for in a great entry. The website also offers plenty of information, tips and tricks on how you should approach the process, including podcasts and blogs of recent winners.

The journey to the business awards begins 17th of May. I strongly recommend starting early, get the team together to discuss strategy and really figure out what your business offers and what the core vision is. Think BIG and be PASSIONATE! Passion in business is infectious especially when you have a strong vision behind it.

Congratulations again for taking the plunge. Enjoy the process and learn from it. Your business will benefit in ways you could not imagine!