Warrington Business

Awards 2009

10th July

09

The Warrington Guardian, together with our partners Warrington Borough Council

and the Northwest Regional Development Agency, offers you the opportunity

to enter the prestigious Warrington Business Awards. Now in its 10th year, the

Warrington Business Awards is a benchmark for excellence throughout the area.

Whether you’re a small family business or known worldwide for the products and service

you provide, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by entering for an award. The

winners not only walk away with prizes, but more importantly the honour of winning such

a prestigious award. The award winners will also receive support and publicity from the

Warrington Guardian.

This document has been designed as an aid that will help you put together your award-

winning entries. Each category is listed and explained, with an insight into what the judges

will be looking for.

After submitting your award entry, the independent judging panel will choose a shortlist of

nominees, who will be invited to attend the glittering gala dinner evening held at The Park

Royal Hotel, Stretton, Warrington, on Friday, July 10th, 2009. The awards evening will

start with a delicious three-course meal followed by entertainment and the presentation of

the awards.

The closing date for entries is Thursday, April 30th, 2009. We cannot accept entries after

this date, so please ensure you post or e-mail your entry to us in plenty of time.

If you require any further information, please contact Elaine Hunt on

01925 434054 or e-mail Elaine on ehunt@guardiangrp.co.uk

Warrington Business

Awards 2009

10th July

09

Welcome to the Warrington

Business Awards 2009

These peopleentered theWarringtonBusiness Awards2009 and won!

Will you be a winner in 2009?

The closing date for this

year’s entries is

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Warrington Business

Awards 2009

10th July

09

Warrington Business

Awards 2009

10th July

09

2009 AwardCategories

Business of the Decade Award This award will go to the Champion of Champions. All winners of the Business

of the Year since the year 2000 will be invited to enter this prestigious 10th

Anniversary award, to support your automatic entry, please consider the following

points and enclose any additional information you feel should be noted by the

judges. All candidates for Business of the Decade will receive two complimentary

tickets for the awards evening.

• Demonstrate how you have grown significantly over the past 10 years.

• Give evidence of how you have increased market penetration.

• Show how you have developed innovative products/services/processes.

• Demonstrate your strong communications policy.

• How have you strengthened your balance sheet?

• Show how you have increased profits.

• How do you maintain quality throughout the organisation’s structure?

• Show how you have good employee/employer relations.

Retailer of the YearThis award will go to a business or organisation selling products directly to the

general public. Points to consider when completing your entry are:

• Proven success within your marketplace

• Successful marketing initiatives

• Customer care

• Results achieved

Warrington Business

Awards 2009

10th July

09

2009 AwardCategories

Business Person of the YearThis award will go to the individual whose originality and dynamic approach to

business has moved the company forward significantly. Points to consider when

completing the entry are:

• Why do you think your company has a competitive advantage?

• Show evidence of your drive and determination.

• Demonstrate your achievement to date.

• Demonstrate how you have added value.

Business of the YearAll shortlisted candidates from each category will be considered for Business

of the Year 2009. Alternatively, any business or organisation whose profile does

not fit into the other categories can also enter for Business of the Year 2009;

highlighting the following criteria:

• Demonstrate how you have grown significantly this year.

• Give evidence of how you have increased market penetration.

• Show you have developed innovative products/services/processes.

• Demonstrate your strong communications policy.

• How have you strengthened your balance sheet?

• Show how you have increased profits.

• How do you maintain quality throughout the organisation’s structure?

• Show how you have good employee/employer relations.

Warrington Business

Awards 2009

10th July

09

2009 AwardCategories

Investing in Warrington AwardTo recognise high quality investment projects by businesses in Warrington which

have directly or indirectly created new jobs and prosperity within the town during

the past three years.

The judges will be looking for:

• Businesses that have exceeded original plans and targets through investment with

Warrington.

• The perceived risk and rewards of such an investment.

• The introduction of new businesses, or business sectors in the town.

• If appropriate, evidence of an environmentally responsible approach to the general

management of the business.

• A successful completion of a management buy-out or buy-in, which has produced

improved business results.

• Investment that demonstrates long-term commitment to Warrington.

Neither the total value of the investment nor the number of jobs created will by

themselves be determining factors.

Start-up Business of the YearThis award will go to a business or organisation started within the last two years.

Points to consider when completing your entry are:

• Why did you start this business?

• Key events in the success of this business.

• Where do you want the business to be in the next 12 months?

• What are your plans for the next three years?

Warrington Business

Awards 2009

10th July

09

2009 AwardCategories

Social Responsibility and Environmental Award To encourage and recognise businesses which consistently make positive

contributions to the communities they serve. For social enterprises and voluntary

organisations, the activity should be outside their core purpose.

The judges will pay attention to evidence of imagination, commitment and impact,

particularly targeted at the Warrington community. The cash value of the contributions will

not be the determining factor. Particular emphasis will be placed upon the proportionate

investment by your business in terms of time and effort as opposed to pure cash

contributions.

Points to consider when completing your entry are:

• Explain your approach to social / environmental responsibility / corporate community

involvement including treatment of employees and suppliers ethical trading and

environmental performance.

• Describe the role of your employees in any such activity. Provide brief descriptions of

projects undertaken – environmental, charitable, benefit in kind etc – to illustrate your

approach.

• Give details of funding / staff levels committed and financial value to the community.

Warrington Business

Awards 2009

10th July

09

2009 AwardCategories

Training and Development AwardThis award will go to the business or organisation, which can demonstrate that

the use of training and development has led to clearly identifiable business

benefits. Points to consider when completing the entry form:

• Why was this training necessary for the organisation?

• Describe the training undertaken.

• What are the benefits to the organisation/individual?

• What results were achieved?

• Why is this an example of exceptionally effective training and development?

Customer Care AwardThis award will go to the business or organisation which can demonstrate

that excellent customer care has achieved improved profitability, turnover and

customer retention. Points to consider when completing the entry form:

• Why did your company implement a customer care policy?

• What does your customer care policy cover?

• How are your customer complaints handled and solved?

• How does your company continually improve its customer care process?

• What customer care training is undertaken for the employees of your company?

Warrington Business

Awards 2009

10th July

09

How to Enter

Company/Organisation name:..........................................................................................

Contact person:.................................................................................................................

Position:........................................................ Address:......................................................

............................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................... Postcode:...............................

Tel:.................................................................. Fax:............................................................

E-mail:............................................................ Number of employees:..............................

Type of business:...............................................................................................................

Financial information – All information will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Please include necessary financial figures for the past three years, which will assist in substantiating your company growth, improvement and future forecast (if applicable).

Please complete the details

below and send this form

together with your entry

submission. See individual

categories for points to

include when preparing your

award entry.

Please tick the box for the category (or categories) you are entering, and attach a copy of your entry to this form, which should include all the relevant information needed for your category criteria.

Business of the Decade Award

Investing in Warrington Award

Social Responsibility and Environment Award

Retailer of the Year

Business Person of the Year

Start-up Business of the Year

Training and Development Award

Customer Care Award

Business of the Year

N.B: A Guardian photographer will contact all entrants, however this does NOT mean that you have been shortlisted for an award.

Warrington Business

Awards 2009

10th July

09

Conditions Of Entry

• All entries must include a fully completed entry form together with your entry details – as

requested in the award criteria.

• The awards are open to any business/organisation operating within the Warrington area.

• The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

• Finalists will be invited to the Gala Awards dinner at The Park Royal Hotel, Stretton,

Warrington, on Friday, July 10th 2009.

• All short-listed candidates from each category will be considered for Business of the Year

2009. Alternatively any business/organisation whose profile does not fit into the other

categories can also enter for Business of the Year 2009.

• Any award entry that does not meet the specified requirements will be disqualified.

• Closing date for all completed entries is Thursday, April 30, 2009.

• Entries may be moved to a different category, at the discretion of the judges, if

considered appropriate.

• Entering more than one category is allowed.

Information (other than financial) may be used to promote your company in the

Warrington Guardian and on warringtonbusinessawards.co.uk.

Completed Form

Please send your entry form and submission ensuring that all requested criteria and

financial information is included to:

Elaine Hunt, Business Awards Committee, Guardian Series Newspapers,

The Academy, 138 Bridge Street, Warrington, Cheshire, WA1 2RU or

e-mail businessawards@guardiangrp.co.uk

To arrive no later than Friday April 30th, 2009.

Judging Criteria

Each category will have its own criteria. Please see each individual category for

points to include and what the judges are looking for. An independent panel will

judge the entries. There will be a winner and highly commended in each award

category.

Information (other than financial) may be used to promote your company in the Warrington

Guardian and on warringtonbusinessawards.co.uk