There is just one month left for SMEs to get their entries in for the Ulster Bank Business Achievers Awards.
The scheme celebrates the achievements of local companies across a range of sectors, and is run in association with the Belfast Telegraph, Invest NI, InterTradeIreland and SmallBusinessCan.com. Entries can be made at BusinessAchieversAward.com.
Judges will shortlist companies for the Ulster provincial stage, and winners will then compete in their respective categories at an all-island awards ceremony in December 2014. One all-island category winner will also be crowned overall Ulster Bank Business Achiever 2014.
Previous Northern Ireland winners in the all-island scheme include Mash Direct, TG Eakin and CDE Global.
Andy Mills, Regional Director, Business Banking, Ulster Bank said: “We’re delighted to celebrate the success of our local SMEs through the Ulster Bank Business Achievers Awards. These businesses are vital for the economy in terms of job creation and wealth creation.
“The awards provide the opportunity for businesses to highlight and celebrate what they are providing in terms of excellent products and services. As well as recognising what they have achieved, winning an award results in a feel good factor for all staff and supports new business development.”
Commenting on their previous success in the awards, Elaine Toner, international marketing manager at TG Eakin, says that the win was a big boost for staff morale: “Despite our global reach, we are a very small team and the staff morale was given a real boost by winning the award. It was a very simple, straightforward process; a lot of awards schemes can be time consuming and complicated, but Business Achievers was anything but, and there was always someone at the end of the phone to help us.”
Tracy Hamilton, founder of Mash Direct says: “The networking opportunities provided by taking part in the competition have been very advantageous. We are now a recognised brand and it is a fantastic accolade for the whole team. The whole process of the competition is very supportive and that support has continued.”
Colin Trainor of CDE Global says of the company’s win in the awards: “We were up against some really stiff competition, so it was great to be recognised alongside such impressive companies”.
Throughout each stage of the awards, companies will be judged on a variety of merits including financial performance, company milestones and achievements, future strategy for business people and the business and the development of innovative products and services.
Entries for the 2014 awards are open to SMEs across all sectors and businesses can enter in any two of the categories:
Deadline for submissions is Friday 26 September. You can follow all the action on Twitter throughout the 2014 awards using #UBBAA
