WinteR 2017 Round-up your chance to shine in FSB awards Winning an industry award can be a huge boost for your business and brand even being shortlisted as an area or national finalist can create added value. So why not enter the 2018 FsB Celebrating small Business Awards, which are open for nominations and free to enter. The West Midlands regional final will take place at the national Conference Centre, Birmingham, on 16 March 2018, and the 12 category winners will go on to the national final in London on 3 May. round-uP The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) exists to help small firms and the selfemployed achieve their ambitions, and is looking for as many entries as possible in the following 12 award categories: n Business Exporter of the Year n Ethical Green Business of the Year n Business & Product Innovation Award n digital Business of the Year n Micro Business of the Year n Start-up Business of the Year n Scale-up Business of the Year n Family Business of the Year n Young Entrepreneur of the Year (under 25 years) n Employer of the Year n Community Award n Triumph over Adversity Award You can enter as many categories as you wish, and the deadline for entries to the West Midlands competition is 12 January 2018. For more information, visit the awards website, or contact Karen Woolley on 07917 628923 or via email. Five reasons to enter the FSB Celebrating Small Business awards Reputation Winning or being a finalist in a credible, highly regarded business award will enhance your businesss reputation among suppliers, customers and the community. You can display your award status on your emails and website. talent and motivation its a huge boost to your employees morale if youre shortlisted or win. it brings a sense of pride anda renewed commitment to the company and is a great way to attract new talent. Media coverage its a good news story. You can tell local and industry media about your achievement to get coverage in newspapers and the broadcast media. if you win a uK-wide award, you could benefit from national press coverage too. Social media profile entering a business award gives you a ready-made social media campaign from announcing that youre applying, through to the award ceremony. Remember to include photos where you can, and use the official awards hashtag to reach a wider audience. FSB has more than 50,000 followers on twitter alone @FsB_Voice #FsBAwARDs new contacts Award ceremonies are a fantastic way to meet new business contacts face to face, both regionally and nationally. As well as being useful, networking at a prestigious event is really enjoyable.Click numbers for more reasons to enter the FSB Celebrating Small Business awards 1 2 3 4 5 For further information, please contact your local trading Standards Service