The wait is now on for Somerset businesses
The deadline has been met and the entries are in. The judges now have their toughest job to date to review and shortlist the region’s finest businesses to visit for this year’s Somerset Business Awards.
With entries up by an impressive 36.5% compared to last year, the judges have a difficult task of reading through a vast amount of entries and selecting the best to visit for all 14 categories. With such high standards presented this year and 71% of this year’s submissions coming from first time entrants, it’s been an exciting year for the Awards.
This year, the Business of the Year 1-10 Employees Award was the most popular category with many fantastic businesses demonstrating how they stand out from the crowd through areas such as ambition, profitability, growth, sound business planning, customer satisfaction and management of people. Similarly, the Charity of the Year Award received the second highest number of entries, showcasing their dedication and passion for their work and wanting to be recognised across the county.
Ges Green, from TDA, part of the Somerset Enterprise Centres – judging the Business of the Year 1-10 Award – comments, “This is the second year we have sponsored the Business of the Year 1-10 category and it fits incredibly well with TDA’s objective of supporting and celebrating the fantastic small businesses in Somerset. We are delighted to see so many entries this year, both from repeat and first time applicants. As with last year, the level of applications is outstanding, each with their own individual merits. We now have a hard task ahead of us to select the deserving finalists, but would like to thank every single business who has taken the time to apply. We are honoured to have the chance to get involved in celebrating their success!”
The judges now look forward to an exciting few weeks visiting the successful entrants, before selecting their winners and finalists.
Once chosen, the Award finalists will be officially invited to the glittering black-tie event on 19 October 2018, at Wellsprings Leisure Centre in Taunton, where the 14 Award winners will be announced in style, by Somerset cricket all-rounder, Peter Trego.
The Awards are sponsored by a variety of companies from the county’s dynamic business community, including main sponsor, Albert Goodman, returning for the eighth consecutive year.
The Somerset Business Awards is active on Twitter, please follow @SomBizAwards for all the latest news and updates with #SBA2018. To find out more, and for further information about the Awards, please visit: www.somersetbusinessawards.org.uk.