Prefer to listen to the Welsh audio version instead? Check out the first episode of my brand new podcast Mwydro am Fusnes below!
Following on from the lovely response to the first episode of my new Welsh language podcast Mwydro am Fusnes where I chatted all things business awards, I was mindful of those who may appreciate the episode’s contents but who don’t speak the language. So, for those who don’t speak Welsh or prefer taking in information through text I’ve prepared this handy blog with my key insights and tips!
Business awards are for everyone!
When I won my first business award in a skyscraper in London in 2023 I only ran my business one day a week and almost entirely through the Welsh language. I didn’t follow a fancy course to learn my craft of Digital Illustration and Marketing. Instead I followed YouTube and TikTok tutorials online in lockdown and took it from there! So if I can win awards I’m confident any other small business owner can too.
Business awards are also a brilliant way of recognising all of your hard work, for yourself and for current and future clients and customers. So if you’ve been thinking of applying or if it’s never crossed your mind, I hope this blog is of some help to you!
Tip 1: You have to put yourself forward!
This may be soooo obvious for some, but for some reason I was fully convinced that the only way you could be nominated for business awards was for someone else to put your name forward. That’s not the case with many business awards though and when I asked my friend Gerogina Merckel Evans how she went about winning IPSE’s Young Freelancer of the Year Award in 2022 I was surprised to her filled in a form and nominated herself.
With a few hours to spare on a long train journey down to Cardiff I went ahead and put forward my application for IPSE’s 2023 awards and I was overjoyed to then be invited to London to the awards and over the moon when I was awarded IPSE’s Young Freelancer of the Year 2023.
It was a ‘pinch me’ moment being awarded IPSE’s Young Freelancer of the Year on the 42nd floor of a London skyscraper
Tip 2: Keep it concise
Small Business Sunday (SBS) is one of the leading small business networks in the UK. Each week, Theo Paphitis welcomes 6 small businesses to the community and gives them a massive publicity boost. They also gain access to a network of like-minded small and micro businesses in the UK.
I was lucky to join the SBS community in April 2023 on my second attempt where I described my business in a paragraph on Instagram. With services ranging from GIFs in Schools Workshops to Design Commissions to Business Workshops I had a lot I could talk about. However, I used good sense and looked at patterns in former winners to identify one key interesting element of my business and put a snappy, concise summary of that service and how it makes my business unique.
If you think of it from the perspective of those assessing applications, they want something that captures attention and is easy to understand and following those simple steps should hopefully lead you to success.
Tip 3. Turn facts into a story
Despite being in the depths of the flu I had a great time in March 2025 at the Gogledd Creadigol awards in Dylan’s, Llandudno where I won the Digital Visionary Award. I’d made the shortlist the year before so I was thrilled to take home a trophy in March.
I had a great time at the Gogledd Creadigol awards, despite being full of the flu!
Just like IPSE Awards I was able to nominate myself, alongside being nominated by peers, friends and family members. From attending the awards in 2024, storytelling and transformation was a key theme in all winners so instead of simply stating facts I leant into the transformation I’d went through in my business diversifying from handmade cards and crafts into teaching myself the art of digital illustration.
It seemed to work as I was crowned the Digital Visionary award winner. If we think of reality competition shows we enjoy watching on television this transformation theme comes up often, from a Queen on RuPaul’s Drag Race developing in skills and confidence to a contestant on Bake Off overcoming adversity through baking.
If you’re struggling to think of a transformation you’ve been through, ask friends or family for their thoughts as I’m sure they’ll be more than happy to help!
So, why not give it a go!
I do hope these tips have been useful for you and if you’ve been feeling doubtful that it’s given you a boost that everyone is worthy of winning business awards!
Set a timer on your phone for 5pm on Sunday to have a go at applying for the Small Business Sunday awards and let’s see how we get along from there!
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