Paying to enter business awards

[Real World Hypnotherapy]

Does anyone else think this is wrong? New businesses having to pay out hundreds of pounds, just to enter award competitions. I know that they have to be funded in some way, but I think it is really harsh to put this cost onto the participants.

I for one have not entered several award competitions because I simply can’t afford to. What do other people think?

Matt, MK Printing

[DuaneJackson]

New businesses having to pay out hundreds of pounds, just to enter award competitions.

They don't have to enter. I don't think it's a bad thing. The ones that charge for entry seem to have a bigger budget for marketting the event itself which means greater exposure for the winners.

[Whistle Ink]

I don't think you should have to pay hundreds of pounds to enter award competitions.

For well know awards with some well known sponsers, I would maybe fork out around £25 to submit my application.

Instead of forking out hundreds of quid to become recognised for something, it's better in my opinion to concentrate on customer service and get good feedback from customers. These mini awards don't really cost anything and are easy to 'win'! :lol:

Bye

Paresh :)

[Cornish Steve]

Unfortunately, this is standard practice in many industries. If a company wants to claim to be a winner of some award or other, they can, in effect, buy the award. Of course, their product must have some merit, but they certainly don't have to be the best. Knowing this, I'm sceptical of companies that boast of being award winners.

[uksbc]

i was unsure of which way to go in reference to this when we came up with The Small Business Help Centre Awards

I didnt want to charge an entry fee (because i would not want to pay one) but then again i did not want to fund it completely out of our pocket

We ended up setting it up on a free entry basis but it is a big drain on finances to promote it. this is why we raised some money through sponsorship

you sort of get caught in a catch 22 though - sponsors dont want to pay because it is not advertised everywhere, yet you cant advertise it everywhere because you cant get sponsorship :cry:

it will pay off for all involved in the long term BUT it has certainly cost us a lot more than originally budeted for

hope this helps to understand why some awards do charge an entry fee

:D

[UK2004]

Reminds me a bit of the modelling scam, a beutiful woman who is very capable of being a model will be 'discovered' and won't have to pay out, someone who wants it but doesn't have it has to pay out to those dodgy companies who charge a grand to take snaps and are basically con artists. I think a brilliant company will be recognised regardless of entering competitions.

[creacom]

From what I have seen the awards that you have to pay a fee to enter are the bigger ones which lead to greater rewards for the winners and also wider exposure. So I guess you are paying for that. The budget for that has to come from somewhere.

I am sure that the finalists never complain about the fee. :wink:

Jacqui

[SillyJokes]

There's no fee for the Ecommerce awards and they give substantial prize money.

I'm sure you could easily pay more to enter the lottery every week over a year yet you don't gripe about being in it to win it.

Major awards probably sort out a lot of dross by asking for an entry fee - it means fewer time wasters enter and those that enter are prepared to make more effort on their entries.

If you have the time and resources to put together a decent competition entry then you are already a winner.

Regrettably Esther Rantzen is not out there trawling around looking for a business which is too modest to put itself forward in order to offer it a substantial prize and some free pr.

Besides, it is nice to win awards and it does lend your business a degree of trust for the consumer. As with most things in marketing, this inevitably comes at a cost - i.e. the entry fee

[DuaneJackson]

I am sure that the finalists never complain about the fee. :wink:


Indeed :)