Everyone’s A Winner by Adrian Tripp, CEO, European Business Awards

Let’s think Greek for a moment….at Apollo’s temple at Delphi there is the inscription ‘Know thyself’ and it goes that those seeking guidance can only progress if they have a clear view of themselves first.  This reminds me of the most popular feedback I get from entrants of the awards; namely that the actual process of entering, gives them an extremely valuable assessment of their own business. And in addition this new knowledge results in a much clearer direction and focus. 

Furthermore, many companies admitted that not only had it been a long time since they had asked themselves the basic questions of who they were, what makes them successful, and how they had achieved this - but through this process had discovered that the reasons for their success were not necessarily what they had originally thought. 

This valuable analysis is only one of the benefits we have seen companies get from being an entrant in the European Business Awards.  For finalists, the rewards are even greater. 

For example, the awards are a very powerful tool for employee recognition. Take Sheffield Forgemasters International, a Yorkshire-based company of over 800 employees. Its success in the awards was presented internally as the achievement of every single worker, a direct endorsement of their work.  Additionally the CEO, Graham Honeyman told us that getting external recognition from respected experts had had an extremely positive effect on morale and motivation.

Externally, the commercial benefits of the European Business Awards can be equally powerful. I have seen many businesses attract the interests of private equity companies, new customers and also new partners following their exposure from the Awards.  And it is not only a strong marketing tool for SMEs, it can also help build the profile of larger businesses with a turnover of €150m or higher.

Lastly, and importantly, the awards open up new and exciting networking opportunities with other entrants. Through showcasing and learning from best practice, I have seen connections made and knowledge shared. I recently talked to Aris Kefalogiannis, a Greek Olive Oil distributor who through the awards has connected and collaborated with another entrant and formed a strategic partnership to open up new distribution networks in major markets including South Africa and Russia.

Whether you are looking for growth funding or commercial partnerships, the awards provide the ideal platform to meet and interact with like-minded entrepreneurs in order to develop significant strategic business relationships for mutual gain.

The Awards for 2014 are now open and we want as many businesses as possible to reap the rewards they bring.

To give your business this opportunity, enter here.  

Good luck and I look forward to hearing about and sharing all your future successes.

Adrian