AB: All-Round Nice Guy

It’s an idea that been brewing in the back of my mind for some months now, and I think it’s about time to make it public - so without further ado, I’d like to introduce the inaugural Bellarine Business Awards.

The aim will be to promote the wealth and diversity of businesses on the Bellarine Peninsula, and to acknowledge champions in the areas of: customer service; marketing; staff management and development; and quality products, services and processes.

Modelled on the long-running Geelong Business Awards, the Bellarine Business Awards will feature an initial written submission and on-site visits by a panel of Judges - but it will also feature the additional inputs of voting by you, the general public, and also ‘Peer Voting’ - voting by other Awards entrants.

The entrants will be judged 25% by a written submission (which will follow the same criteria as the Geelong Awards, to allow businesses to submit the same sumbission to both awards); 25% by Public Voting via the web site bellarinebusinessawards.com.au; 25% by Peer Review via the web site (open to registered entrants only); and the final 25% determined by onsite visits from a panel of judges.

To save the Judges some legwork, and to encourage Public and Peer voting, the entrants will be shortlisted for each category, with live results on the web site showing the cumulative score of the votes as they happen. Those scores, plus the assessment of the written submissions, will determine the shortlisted entrants for the on-site visits.

Winners will be announced at a Presentation Dinner in early October, to be hosted on the Bellarine.

Entrants will be in the running for prizes, but moreso, the prestige of having being awarded ‘best in category’ by their customers, their peers, and a panel of judges. All entrants will be featured on the Bellarine Business Awards web site with their contact details and background info throughout the event. Further, Bellarine’s Best will be featuring the shortlisted entrants in a special edition before the Presentation Dinner, and will showcase the winners the following month.

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THE PROCESS

June:
Entries open, written submissions gathered, and public and peer voting begins on the web site.

July & August:
Entries still open, submission accepted, voting still open, Judging Panel begins assessing written submissions, shortlisted entrants begin to be published.

September:
Entries closed, voting still open for shortlisted entrants, and on-site visits take place.

1st Week in October:
Voting closed, Judges meet to review scores for on-site visits, overall winner selected by Judges, all winners announced at presentation dinner.

Critical deadlines will be communicated via Bellarine’s Best and on the web site as well as emailed to all registered entrants.

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THE AWARD CATEGORIES

Overall Winner: Bellarine Business of the Year

Open Awards:
- Solo Business (1 employee)
- Small Business (2-9 employees)
- Medium Business (10-24 employees)
- Large Business (25+ employees)

Industry Awards:
- Retail
- Service based: Business to Public
- Service based: Business to Business
- Health & Aged Care
- Tourism
- Hospitality
- Not-for-profit / Community Services
- Primary Production / Manufacturing
- Construction Sector

Specialty Awards:
- New Business Award (less than 5 years)
- ‘Long Running’ Award (30 years or more)
- Environmental Award (based on sustainability and environmental impact)
- Ecommerce Award (for mostly web-based businesses)

Final categories and specific criteria will be available on the web site this month, and will be published in Bellarine’s Best monthly thereafter.

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THE PRIZES

Sponsors will be sought to provide prizes for each category, with a major prize for the overall winner of the Bellarine Business of the Year Award.

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ELEGIBILITY/COSTS

Entry will be free, and will be open to all registered businesses, companies and non-profit organisations who operate their business on the Bellarine - up to and including Leopold, but not Moolap nor Newcombe; and including Barwon Heads, but not Breamlea nor Marshall.

For those of you reading this outside of Australia, this is the region we’re talking about.

Proof of business registration will be required.

Voting is free via the web site. No registration required for public voters.

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NEXT STEPS

Well, I’d sure love your feedback on this idea - from anyone inside our outside of the business world, and with or without a vested interest - I’d love any suggestions you might like to give me.

I will soon be scouting for Sponsors for the different categories, as well as looking out for a panel of Judges to assist with the shortlisting and on-site visits. Suggestions or nominations for people for the Judging Panel are most welcome! Of course, Judges and yours truly will be ineligible for any awards, and all results will be made public after the Presentation Dinner.

Keep reading the Bellarine’s Best - along with the bellarinebusinessawards.com.au web site, it will be the source of all key information relating to the event, including the final cateogries, criteria for the written submissions, and all critical deadlines.

I am looking forward to seeing the best that the Bellarine has to offer - and I encourage you to play your part and vote for your local businesses as they enter - so, literally, watch this space…

AB out