Top tips for success

■ Be clear: While you aren’t judged on the design of your entry, something that is well-presented and well-laid out will be easier for the judges to extract the relevant information from. Clear and simple should be your watchwords.

■ Provide evidence: If the entry criteria ask for evidence of success – be it financial or operational – then you need to show it clearly. The judges need to see the hard facts that back up your claims.

■ Be concise: For some awards the judges will have to read through a large number of entries in a limited period of time. Therefore, while encyclopaedia-thick entries are very worthy, it’s unlikely they will get the attention they deserve.

■ Be current: Don’t be tempted to dwell on the past. Your firm may well have been running since 1896, but devoting a large chunk of your entry to explaining over 100 years of history will not help you win.
■ Above and beyond: Remember the Awards reward excellence – that does not mean simply ticking the boxes, it means going above and beyond the call of duty. You need to demonstrate – with evidence – that you have done this.

■ Size isn’t important: Judges take into account the relative size of each company involved and make their decision on the basis of the evidence in front of them. Small companies succeeded in several categories in 2009.

■ Appendices: If you are going to include appendices, then some guidance and context as to what they contain and why they are relevant is important.

■ Never assume: While the judges all have relevant experience, they won’t necessarily know the intricacies of your operation or sector. If it’s relevant to your entry, then describe the particular challenges you face.