Running a small business is hard. But it would be a lot easier if potential clients – and potential referrers – recognised you as a market-leading expert. So how can you achieve that elite status?

One way to make that happen is to collect reviews on Google and other platforms.

Another way is to enter industry awards and local business awards. Winning would be extraordinary; but merely being nominated as a finalist would be remarkable, because it would immediately differentiate you from 99 per cent of your rivals.

Why enter business awards?

First, you don’t have to wait for someone else to nominate you: the overwhelming majority of small businesses that compete for awards have self-nominated.

Second, while awards are competitive, they’re less competitive than you think because relatively few businesses enter – either because they don’t know about the award or they don’t have time to fill in a submission (which is often a hard, time-consuming process) or they assume so many businesses will be entering that they have no chance of success.

Furthermore, most award submissions are poorly written. So if you take the time to write a high-quality submission, you have a reasonable chance of being nominated as a finalist. Let me explain why most award submissions are poorly written, and what you should do to stand out from the pack.

Back up everything you say

Most businesses talk themselves up when writing award submissions, but few provide evidence to back up their claims.

Whenever you make a claim, you have to prove it. For example, it would not be enough to tell judges you did “world-class marketing” last year; you’d also need to provide details of a campaign. By providing the judges with all that information, you’d give yourself the best chance of making them believe that your business had, indeed, done world-class marketing.

Be precise

Many of the businesses that attempt to substantiate their claims fall into the trap of using vague evidence.

This kind of statement doesn’t tell the judges anything: “We invested a significant amount of money into the marketing campaign.”

But this kind of statement does: “We invested $112,000 into the campaign, which was equivalent to 9.6 per cent of our revenue last year, and which was the most money, in both dollar terms and percentage terms, that we’d ever invested in a campaign.”

Stick to the topic

Most people write how they speak – in a disordered way – which is why a lot of award submissions veer off into unnecessary tangents.

If you’re asked to provide an example of an outstanding marketing campaign you did last year, talk about an outstanding marketing campaign – and nothing else.

Start by repeating the question

Many businesses mistake of sticking to a topic – the wrong topic. That’s because they misinterpret the question, and therefore send their argument down the wrong path.

The way to avoid this is to repeat the question in your opening sentence. So you might begin like this: “The best example of outstanding marketing we did last year was a Valentine’s Day promotion in which we invested $112,000 and signed 43 new clients.”

Use fewer words

Don’t waffle on. Judges hate this, because they have a pile of award submissions to read.

If you’re allocated a maximum of 500 words for a question but have only 300 words of value to offer, don’t add 200 words of low-quality information. This kind of waffle not only irritates the judges, it also makes it harder for them to identify the high-quality information.

Final word

When you answer questions for an award submission, your job is not to merely fill in the gaps, as if you were filling in a form at the doctor’s office. Rather, it’s to mount an argument, as if you were appearing in court.

In other words, don’t just give the judges information and hope they use it to reach the right conclusion; give them the information and give them the conclusion at the same time.

That way, you’ll give yourself the best chance of being nominated for an award, and even winning one – thereby positioning yourself as an industry leader.

The post How to write a winning small-business award submission appeared first on Inside Small Business.

The iAwards has been known for highlighting and recognising the innovations made by Australian talents, particularly those that reached national and international acclaim. This year’s theme, Excellence in Innovation, reflects the AIIA’s vision for Australia to take its place as a global leader in ICT innovation.

The iAwards are open to individuals, teams, government organisations, private enterprises, and students across seven major categories: Start-up, Student & Education, Technology Platform, Business & Industry, Government & Public Sector, Not-for-Profit & Community, and Sustainability & Environmental.

In addition, entries are invited for the Diversity Award, now in its third year, which celebrates initiatives that champion inclusivity and diversity in the tech sector.

InvestSA will also serve once more as the National Ceremony partner for the third consecutive year.

AIIA CEO Simon Bush stated, “The AIIA iAwards are a proud celebration of Australian innovation, showcasing the extraordinary talent and creativity that drives our nation forward. For over three decades, we’ve supported innovators who are solving real-world challenges and shaping a brighter future for Australia and beyond. The iAwards play a vital role in recognising these achievements and providing a platform to elevate their profile on a national and global scale.”

Previous iAwards winners went on to achieve recognition on the international stage, securing three awards and one merit at the World Innovation Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA) Global Innovation and Tech Excellence Awards, along with two awards and a second runner-up at the Asia Pacific ICT Alliance (APICTA) Awards.

Nominations for the 2025 iAwards are open until Friday 4 April, 5pm AEDT.

The post 2025 iAwards nominations open for start-ups, small businesses appeared first on Inside Small Business.

The annual Challenge aims to support innovative start-ups solving environmental dilemmas, with this year’s Challenge focusing on regenerative economy and sustainable food systems. A record number of start-ups joined this year’s competition, with the broadest range of entrants to date.

Five finalists were then short-listed, who pitched to a panel of judges including WWF-Australia Chief Regeneration Officer Nicole Forrester; Climate Salad Co-founder Mick Liubinskas and Jawun Chief Executive Shane Webster as well as KPMG’s National Nature Lead Carolin Leeshaa and Josh Geelan, KPMG Enterprise Lead Partner for ESG & Sustainability.

Andrew Yates, CEO, KPMG Australia stated, “Levur was the ultimate choice of our judging panel because of their highly innovative application of science and the scale of the challenge they are tackling – replacing unsustainable plant and animal oils with sustainable alternatives. The widespread adoption of sustainable oils could have a tremendous global impact, maintaining biodiversity and reducing the devasting effects of deforestation.”

“The goal of the KPMG Nature Positive Challenge is to shape a better future by supporting entrepreneurship that is focused on helping people and planet. We are incredibly proud to be helping fast-track the growth of these amazing businesses,” he added.

As the top winner, Levur takes home the major $100,000 Nature Positive Prize. Co-Founders Tom Collier (CEO), and Joanne Barber (COO) were thrilled to receive the honour.

Collier commented, “Winning the KPMG Nature Positive Challenge feels like a pivotal moment for Levur. It’s a validation of the mission our team has worked so hard to make a reality and a powerful reminder of why we started this journey: to protect our planet and create solutions that leave a lasting impact.”

He added, “We’re already seeing the strategic benefits of KPMG’s advisory support and the doors this will open for a relatively young business. Thanks to this prize, we’ll be able to scale faster and reach more markets, helping to commercialise our sustainable alternative to palm oil. Creating long-term impact takes a village, and we’re deeply inspired by the work of our fellow finalists. We’re proud to be part of a community dedicated to driving meaningful change.”

The four other KPMG Nature Positive finalists are:

• Coral Maker (WA) – a coral reef restoration company focused on technology to scale the deployment of corals.
• Lord of the Trees (NSW) – pioneering sustainable pest management through innovative drone technology.
• Native Botanical Brewery (NSW) – a First Nations family business producing native beverages while actively restoring local ecosystems by propagating native food species.
• Rainstick (QLD) – using electricity to mimic the natural effects of lightning to grow crops bigger, faster and more sustainably.

Native Botanical Brewery was also selected as the winner in the First Nations category, a new award category that aims to recognise the growth potential of Indigenous businesses and reflect how these communities, through traditional knowledge and practices, continue to play a leading role in promoting a harmonious relationship with the environment.

Meanwhile, nature tech start-up Coral Maker won the KPMG People’s Choice Award, chsoen by KPMG staff across Australia and the South Pacific.

The post Levur takes top honours in KPMG eco challenge appeared first on Inside Small Business.

Among the awardees, the Business of the Year distinction was given to DJAARA, the representative body of the Dja Dja Wurrung of Central Victoria that has built a successful enterprise by tapping into ancient knowledge and traditional practices to modern agriculture and aquaculture. DIARRA also won the Indigenous Excellence award.

“What stands out about this year’s winner is their connection to purpose which drives this organisation at its core. More than 20 years ago, 15 people gathered on a verandah and recognised their collective strength and the positive impact they could have on their people and community,” said Amanda Hutton, Group Executive, Telstra Business.

“Like so many businesses, they faced challenges to become the thriving enterprise they are today, and it’s success stories like DJAARA and our other category winners that highlight the incredible resilience of Australia’s small business community,” Hutton added.

The other awardees and the respective categories they won for are:

• Ikuntji Artists (Northern Territory) – Accelerating Women
• The Push-Up Challenge (Western Australia) – Building Communities
• Bellberry (South Australia) – Championing Health
• Verterra Ecological Engineering (Queensland) – Embracing Innovation
• Proptech Labs (New South Wales) – Outstanding Growth
• Wildlife Drones (Australian Capital Territory) – Promoting Sustainability

The finalists were chosen following a rigorous judging process across the states and territories. They were then invited to Melbourne this week where Telstra hosted a series of workshops and networking opportunities with some of the country’s top business and industry leaders to accelerate their growth.

The winners were then chosen based on an analysis of each business and their impact on Australia’s economic, social and cultural prosperity, as well as in-depth interviews with business leaders including MindTribes CEO Div Pillay, Small Business Australia Executive Director Bill Lang, and Frank Green Founder and CEO Benjamin Young.

Telstra’s Best of Business Awards program has been part of Telstra’s commitment for the past 30 years to support small businesses by celebrating their achievements and the people behind them while also giving them the opportunity to learn from Australia’s best business minds.

The post Telstra honours 2024 Best of Business awardees appeared first on Inside Small Business.