For smaller businesses which can demonstrate dynamism, commitment to growth and success in achieving planned objectives.
Successful smaller businesses should be able to demonstrate a clearly defined vision for developing and growing the business i
n terms of both turnover and employment.
While demonstrating entrepreneurial characteristics, successful companies will have systems in place to measure performance effectively, particularly in terms of financial controls.
Staff development and involvement of the workforce in the growth of the business will be a key characteristic, as will a strong focus on the needs of the customer through effective marketing strategies.
Successful companies will have customer satisfaction at the heart of their business strategy. Entrants should be able to prove a track record in customer satisfaction and continued commitment to exceeding customer expectations, recognising the contribution from staff when dealing with customers.
Best Performing Business (26-250 Employees)Intended for businesses, which have successfully grown their organisation and now operate with between 26 – 250 employees.
Strong leadership and clearly defined strategic objectives will have shaped the company’s growth and development.
The company culture will demonstrate an approach to business based on encouraging employee development, creativity and empowerment. Employees will demonstrate strong proactive relationships with customers and suppliers and a shared ambition to optimise business performance.
Entrants should be able to present a strong performance record and explain how their business differentiates itself from the competition and should be recognised as
Best Performing Business (26 – 250 employees).Successful companies will have customer satisfaction at the heart of their business strategy. Entrants should be able to prove a track record in customer satisfaction and continued commitment to exceeding customer expectations, recognising the contribution from staff when dealing with customers.
Best Performing Business (Over 250 employees)Aimed at large businesses which can point to a great success story in terms of business performance, for example a successful turnaround or significant, sustained growth within target markets.
Successful companies will demonstrate key characteristics such as a clearly defined vision for achieving growth and a strong leadership. Performance throughout the organisation will be effectively measured and there will be a commitment to achieving business excellence through the motivation and training of staff and, where appropriate, suppliers.
The customer will be the principal focus of professional, effective marketing and promotional strategies and companies will be able to demonstrate making a significant, positive impact on the local and wider Scottish economy.
Successful companies will have customer satisfaction at the heart of their business strategy. Entrants should be able to prove a track record in customer satisfaction and continued commitment to exceeding customer expectations, recognising the contribution from staff when dealing with customers.
Company goals and the management’s vision for the future should be clearly expressed and communicated throughout the organisation.
Award for E-businessFor businesses which have embraced and adopted digital technologies to transform the way they do business.
Companies will show successful implementation of new technologies and demonstrate an improvement in business performance as a result.
Winning companies will have researched and implemented e-business technologies to solve a need – either to improve internal effectiveness or to create new and better ways of interacting with customers.
The success of implementation should be effectively measured and the impact on the overall business performance clearly identified.
Successful companies should be looking at how to continue this investment by monitoring and implementing appropriate new technologies as they emerge in the market place.
Successful companies will have customer satisfaction at the heart of their business strategy. Entrants should be able to prove a track record in customer satisfaction and continued commitment to exceeding customer expectations, recognising the contribution from staff when dealing with customers.
Award for Innovation and CreativityOpen to businesses which have successfully developed innovative products, technologies or services, or which have developed innovative ways of doing business with customers. Entrants will show a high degree of creativity and dynamism and will be exploring ways to exploit their innovation to its fullest potential.
Successful companies will have developed a product/service, or business process, that is unique or ground-breaking in their sector, and which satisfies a real need in the marketplace.
This can also include innovative ways of doing business through Partnership working or Joint Ventures, or encouraging staff to contribute ideas & suggestions for continuous improvement or applying different business models to growing the business.
A winning company will demonstrate commitment to the research and development process, and provide evidence of effectively marketing the innovation to customers. The innovation should be demonstrated to have had – or the potential to have – significant impact on the business.
Successful companies will have customer satisfaction at the heart of their business strategy. Entrants should be able to prove a track record in customer satisfaction and continued commitment to exceeding customer expectations, recognising the contribution from staff when dealing with customers.
Award for Most Entrepreneurial Young CompanyFor businesses under three years old which show a high degree of entrepreneurship and vision for the future, with the potential for further growth and expansion in turnover, profits and employment levels.
Successful businesses will articulate clearly the business idea and start up process, giving evidence of a well-researched business plan and forecasts for business performance.
The business idea will be offering something new to the market place in which the company is operating, and the management style will be entrepreneurial and ambitious.
However, effective financial controls will be important to the success of the business as will customer-focused marketing strategies. Successful companies will have customer satisfaction at the heart of their business strategy. Entrants should be able to prove a track record in customer satisfaction and continued commitment to exceeding customer expectations, recognising the contribution from staff when dealing with customers.
A well-defined vision for the future will show the successful companies building towards an enterprise of considerable potential in terms of sales, profits and employment.
Award for Excellence in Skills and LearningOpen to businesses which demonstrate commitment to the learning and development of the workforce, and where appropriate, the supply chain. Companies should prioritise the pursuit of business excellence through the knowledge and skills of their staff.
Successful companies in this category will demonstrate a strategic commitment to learning throughout the organisation, recognising the importance of the continual development of staff skills.
Improvements in skill levels and achievement of externally-recognised accreditations should in turn be translating into quantifiable benefits to the company
Successful companies will have customer satisfaction at the heart of their business strategy. Entrants should be able to prove a track record in customer satisfaction and continued commitment to exceeding customer expectations, recognising the contribution from staff when dealing with customers.
Award for Business in the CommunityIntended for companies/organisations which can demonstrate commitment to the community in which they operate, for example through initiatives which promote community development, staff volunteering, community access to facilities or green initiatives to improve the environment.
This Award will recognise a company’s Corporate responsibility and contribution within their community and can include the reinvestment, support, maintenance, or development of a project or initiative which benefits the local community and business environment.
The Award also encourages applications from Social Enterprise organisations and their contribution to the local community. Successful applications in this category will require to outline and address key elements, for example a clearly-defined understanding of the community need, the activities implemented to satisfy that need, the effective measurement of the benefits of these activities to both the organisation, its customers, employees and the community.
Award for International BusinessOpen to companies which are successful in exporting and committed to continued growth in their international business. Entrants will show expertise in planning and managing an export strategy including managing currency fluctuations, credit control and marketing overseas.
Successful companies entering this category will be prioritising international activities within their overall company strategy and will be managing their overseas business proactively and professionally.
Effective sales, marketing and distribution strategies will be in place and the company will be making great efforts to ensure that products are suitable or adapted for international markets.
Effective financial management including credit control and currency management will play a key role in management of overseas business, and the organisation will be looking to develop sales in international markets in the future.
Successful companies will have customer satisfaction at the heart of their business strategy. Entrants should be able to prove a track record in customer satisfaction and continued commitment to exceeding customer expectations, recognising the contribution from staff when dealing with customers.
