As a small company owner, you’re continuously creating and expanding your brand in your local market and sector. While marketing and social media efforts are critical for getting your tattoo shop’s name out there, it’s equally important to focus on exposure and credibility. You may have recommendations and reviews to indicate that you provide high-quality services and goods to your customers, but there’s still more you can do to prove your worth.
Applying for both local and industry prizes is one such strategy. This not only validates current customers’ good perceptions of your tattoo business, but it also helps to engage new prospects and produces excellent content for your website, social media platforms, and marketing initiatives. Furthermore, people like working for an award-winning organization.
Even yet, nominating for an award is no easy task. It can be time-consuming and perplexing, particularly if you are unsure where to begin. Follow these steps to make the submission process smoother and get your store the recognition it deserves.
Make a List of the Awards You Want to Apply for
Although there appear to be countless award options available, not every award is appropriate for your tattoo studio. By selecting an award that speaks to your company’s distinct value, you’ll increase your chances of winning—and make the most of your time and effort. To find the proper reward, do the following:
Select an award category that reflects your qualifications. Just because you’re a tattoo shop doesn’t mean you should apply for an award for tattoo parlor enterprises. Find categories that allow you to highlight your finest attributes, whether it’s best-in-class customer service, innovative solutions, or wonderful workplace culture.
Examining the competitors. It’s all the more motivation for you to submit for awards if your competitors are. Look into any awards they’ve previously submitted for and won. These will not only serve as solid predictors for key business awards, but they will also make winning them all the more enjoyable.
Make sure you’re eligible. Frequently, prizes come with qualifiers that aren’t immediately apparent. Check to see if the award accepts entries from your industry, as well as the number of workers or current yearly income.
You should also figure out how much the award entry costs and decide if the time and money spent are worthwhile.
Investigating national and regional honors. Don’t allow the award’s size or scope to deter you from applying.
National corporations provide some of the greatest small business awards, and just because the candidate pool is vast doesn’t mean you shouldn’t apply (as long as you’ve determined that the award is good for you). Local business awards, on the other hand, can help you get recognition in your town. Also, look for industry honors in trade papers and periodicals that are more well-known among your colleagues.
Composing an Award Submission
Drafting the entry once you’ve discovered the proper prize might be exhausting (and intimidating)—but it doesn’t have to be. You can make progress and communicate your small company narrative in the most effective way possible by taking a step-by-step approach to the process:
Take notice of the deadline for the prize. When you’ve determined the award you want to apply for, make sure you know when the deadline is. These submissions might take a long time to draft, so get started as soon as possible. (Winning the honor will be worth some of your spare time after work or on weekends.) It’s also crucial to keep track of when the prize winners are revealed if the judges or organizations fail to contact you.
Make a narrative outline. What makes your tattoo parlor stand out? Take the time to gather compelling statistics, numbers, successes, and customer testimonials (with the client’s permission) that will make your entry stand out to the judges. Also, make sure you satisfy all of the award’s requirements—some entries demand specific firm statistics, which you may need to lookup. Start building your genuine narrative after the measurable results: incorporate experiences that highlight your vision and goal, from how and why you started to hurdles you have conquered.
Proofread. Always have a coworker, friend, or family member double-check the award for grammar and punctuation errors before submitting it. Period.
You may start planning a strategy to promote and use your award once you’ve finished the submission process. Consider how you might promote it on social media, use it in marketing initiatives, or even incorporate the award’s emblem into your branding in addition to displaying it prominently in your business (with permission). While you are unlikely to win every award you apply for, the more deliberate your approach, the better. Remember, your company has earned it!
