OUR AWARDS
Each of these awards have criteria for eligibility. Please click the “Read More About Eligibility” to learn if you qualify.
Emerging Hearts in Business
The Emerging Hearts in Business Award is a celebration of young entrepreneurs and professionals who are 30 years old or younger and are making a remarkable impact through their businesses. This award recognizes their passion, innovation, and commitment to their dreams.
Emerging Hearts in Business Award
The Emerging Hearts in Business award is a celebration of young entrepreneurs and professionals who are 30 years old or younger and are making a remarkable impact through their businesses. This award recognizes their passion, innovation, and commitment to their dreams. It acknowledges their outstanding contributions to the business world and the communities they serve. The Emerging Hearts in Business award highlights the incredible potential and promise of the next generation of business leaders.
The award criteria for this category include:
- *Age Eligibility: Nominees must be under the age of 25 at the time of nomination. If under the age of 18, the nominee will need a parent or guardian’s signature to participate.The young entrepreneur must have been 30 years old or younger at the time of nomination. The nomination phase is from June 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024.
- Passion and Vision: Nominees should demonstrate a genuine passion for their business and a clear vision for its future.
- Innovation: The award recognizes individuals who have introduced innovative ideas, products, services, or business models.
- Community Engagement: Nominees should show a commitment to giving back to their community. This can include involvement or volunteering in local projects, initiatives that address community needs, or contributions that enhance the well-being of the community.
- Business Impact: The award acknowledges the impact of the nominee’s business, regardless of its size.
- Resilience: Entrepreneurs often face challenges. The nominee should demonstrate resilience in overcoming obstacles and setbacks while maintaining their commitment to their business and its values.
The Emerging Hearts in Business award is designed to inspire and empower the younger generation to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams with passion and purpose. It celebrates their unique contributions to the business world and encourages them to continue making a positive impact in their communities and beyond.
Outstanding New Business
The Outstanding New Business Award is intended to honour and celebrate new businesses that have been established for less than two years and have demonstrated passion, courage, and entrepreneurial spirit.
Outstanding New Business Award
This award aims to recognize the achievements of entrepreneurs who have dared to pursue their dreams and successfully established a business within a short period of time. It celebrates their innovation, dedication, and the positive impact they have made through their ventures.
The award criteria for this category include:
- Time in Business: The business must have been operating for two or fewer years at the time of nomination. The nomination phase is from June 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024
- Business Setup: The award is open to businesses with various setups, including storefronts, online stores, and home-based businesses. Whether the business operates from a physical location or an online platform, it is eligible for consideration.
- Business Size: The award is inclusive of businesses of all sizes, ranging from solo entrepreneurs to those with up to 500 employees. The focus is on recognizing the efforts and achievements of the business, regardless of its scale.
- Entrepreneurial Journey: The award aims to celebrate the leap taken by the business owner(s) in pursuing their dreams and venturing into entrepreneurship. Judges will evaluate the story behind the business, the challenges faced, and the determination exhibited in establishing and growing the business.
Small Business Excellence
The Small Business Excellence Award aims to recognize the accomplishments of independent small businesses that have achieved success and made significant contributions within their industry or community. It celebrates their entrepreneurial spirit, business growth, and the positive impact they have made as valuable members of the business landscape.
Small Business Excellence Award
The Small Business Excellence Award is designed to recognize and celebrate small businesses that have demonstrated excellence and success in their operations.
The award criteria for this category include:
- Business Setup: The award is open to solopreneurs who operate their businesses in various setups, including storefronts, online stores, and home-based businesses. Whether the business operates from a physical location or an online platform, it is eligible for consideration.
- Legal Structure: The award is specifically focused on businesses that are not incorporated, meaning they are not registered as separate legal entities. The business can be operated as a sole proprietorship or in partnership with others.
- Team Size: The Solopreneur Award recognizes businesses that primarily operate with minimal or no employees. The business can have up to 20 contractors or employees, reflecting the nature of solopreneurship where the focus is on the individual or a small team working closely together.Entrepreneurial Journey: The judges will evaluate the story and journey of the solopreneur, including the challenges faced, the dedication demonstrated, and the entrepreneurial spirit exhibited in establishing and running the business.
Extraordinary Solopreneur
The Extraordinary Solopreneur Award aims to celebrate the accomplishments of individuals who have built successful businesses on their own or with a small team. It recognizes their entrepreneurial journey, innovation, and the positive impact they have made as solopreneurs.
Extraordinary Solopreneur Award
The Extraordinary Solopreneur Award is designed to recognize and celebrate individuals who have successfully established and operated their own businesses as solopreneurs.
The award criteria for this category include:
- Business Setup: The award is open to solopreneurs who operate their businesses in various setups, including storefronts, online stores, and home-based businesses. Whether the business operates from a physical location or an online platform, it is eligible for consideration.
- Legal Structure: The award is specifically focused on businesses that are not incorporated, meaning they are not registered as separate legal entities. The business can be operated as a sole proprietorship or in partnership with others.
- Team Size: The Solopreneur Award recognizes businesses that primarily operate with minimal or no employees. The business can have up to 20 contractors or employees, reflecting the nature of solopreneurship where the focus is on the individual or a small team working closely together.
- Entrepreneurial Journey: The judges will evaluate the story and journey of the solopreneur, including the challenges faced, the dedication demonstrated, and the entrepreneurial spirit exhibited in establishing and running the business.
Socially Conscious Excellence
The Socially Conscious Excellence Award aims to recognize businesses that prioritize people and the planet alongside profit. It celebrates businesses that positively impact their employees, communities and society’s overall well-being.
Socially Conscious Excellence Award
The Socially Conscious Award is designed to recognize businesses that go beyond profit-making and prioritize making a positive impact on society, their employees, and the community. The nominee must embody two or more of these traits.
The award criteria for this category include:
- Employee Well-Being: This category recognizes businesses that prioritize their employees’ well-being and growth, fostering a positive work culture and promoting a healthy work-life balance. Demonstrating commitment through fair wages, employee benefits, career development programs, and inclusive practices, these businesses actively enhance the quality of life for their employees.
- Quality of Life Improvement: The business should have a clear focus on improving the quality of life for others, whether it’s the local community, specific demographics, or a broader societal impact. This can be achieved through various means such as providing products or services that enhance people’s lives, promoting sustainable practices, addressing social issues, or actively participating in initiatives that create positive change.
- Community Impact: Recognizes businesses that make a significant positive impact on the community. This can include active involvement in community service projects, charitable donations, partnerships with local organizations, initiatives that address local needs, and overall contributions to the betterment of the community.
- Sustainability: The business is committed to sustainability and environmental responsibility. This can include efforts to reduce waste, conserve resources, adopt environmentally friendly practices, and promote sustainable business models.
Wellness Warrior
The Wellness Warrior Award aims to recognize and celebrate individuals or businesses that make a significant positive impact on the well-being and spiritual growth of their clients. These criteria emphasize the importance of a comprehensive and integrative approach to spiritual and natural health, where providers promote wellness on multiple levels.
Wellness Warrior Award
The Wellness Warrior Award for Spiritual and Natural Health Providers aims to recognize individuals or businesses that demonstrate exceptional commitment and excellence in the field of spiritual and natural health. The nominee must embody two or more of these traits.
The criteria for this award include:
- Holistic Approach: The provider embraces a holistic approach to wellness, addressing the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of individuals’ well-being.
- Spiritual Guidance: The provider offers spiritual guidance and support, helping individuals connect with their inner selves, explore their spirituality, and find meaning and purpose in their lives.
- Natural Health Services: The provider offers natural health services that promote well-being, such as herbal remedies, nutritional counselling, natural path, energy healing, mindfulness practices, yoga, meditation, or other alternative therapies.
Outstanding Environmental Steward
The Outstanding Environmental Steward Award aims to recognize businesses that prioritize environmental sustainability, demonstrating a genuine commitment to reducing their ecological footprint and promoting a more sustainable future. It celebrates businesses that lead by example and inspire others through their eco-friendly practices and environmental stewardship.
Outstanding Environmental Steward Award
The Outstanding Environmental Steward Award is designed to recognize businesses that demonstrate a strong commitment to environmental sustainability and actively implement eco-friendly practices. The nominee must embody two or more of these traits.
The award criteria for this category include:
- Eco-Friendly Practices: The business should incorporate and actively implement eco-friendly practices to minimize its environmental impact. This can include initiatives such as waste reduction, energy conservation, water conservation, recycling programs, and the use of sustainable materials in their operations.
- Environmental Innovation: The business has an innovative approach to addressing environmental challenges. This can include the development or adoption of new technologies, products, or services that contribute to sustainability, resource efficiency, or environmental conservation.
- Conservation Efforts: The business should demonstrate efforts to conserve natural resources and protect the environment. This can include initiatives such as implementing energy-efficient technologies, reducing water consumption, minimizing carbon emissions, and promoting biodiversity conservation.
- Community Engagement: The business engages with the local community in promoting environmental awareness and sustainable practices. This can include educational initiatives, partnerships with environmental organizations, and community outreach programs that encourage sustainable living.
Global People’s Choice
The Global People’s Choice Award is a celebration of individuals or organizations that have captured the hearts and inspired people. It is a true reflection of the business’s lasting and significant impact.
Global People’s Choice Award
The Global People’s Choice Award is a prestigious recognition presented to individuals or organizations that have earned immense support and admiration from people and their clients. This highly sought-after award is solely determined by the votes and preferences of a global community, with no involvement of a judging panel. The nominee must embody two or more of these traits.
The criteria for this award include:
- Open to Any Business: The award is inclusive of any business, regardless of its size, industry, or nature of operations. It recognizes the extraordinary impact made by individuals or organizations, irrespective of their specific business category.
- Heart-centred Business: The Global People’s Choice Award particularly celebrates businesses that are driven by a heartfelt mission and purpose. These businesses prioritize values such as compassion, empathy, social responsibility, and making a positive difference in the lives of others.
- Most Votes Win: The award is determined solely by the number of votes received from the global community. The nominee who receives the highest number of votes is honoured with the Global People’s Choice Award, reflecting the overwhelming support and admiration they have garnered.
Exceptional Service
The Exceptional Service Award celebrates individuals or organizations that consistently deliver outstanding service and create extraordinary experiences for their customers or clients. It recognizes their unwavering dedication to excellence, customer-centric approach, and continuous efforts to elevate the standards of service delivery.
Exceptional Service Award
The Exceptional Service Award is a prestigious recognition given to individuals or organizations that have consistently demonstrated exceptional service and gone above and beyond to exceed customer or client expectations. The nominee must embody two or more of these traits.
The criteria for this award include:
- Testimonial Submission: As part of the award process, testimonials from customers or clients are submitted to provide valuable insights and feedback. These testimonials contribute to the evaluation process conducted by the judging panel.
- Customer Satisfaction: The business consistently garners positive feedback and testimonials from customers or clients, reflecting their high levels of satisfaction with the service provided.
- Exemplary Service Delivery: The business consistently delivers service that surpasses expectations, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to quality, meticulous attention to detail, and a personalized approach to customer or client interactions.
- Problem-Solving: The nominee demonstrates exceptional problem-solving skills, effectively addressing customer or client concerns and finding innovative solutions that lead to positive outcomes.
Business of the Year
The Business of the Year Award aims to recognize the overall excellence and achievements of a business across various dimensions. It celebrates businesses that have achieved remarkable success, demonstrated strong leadership, delivered exceptional customer experiences, and made significant contributions to their industry, employees, and community.
Business of the Year Award
The Business of the Year Award is a prestigious recognition that honours outstanding overall excellence and achievement by a business. The criteria for this award include:
- Business Performance: The business represents a strong track record of success in terms of revenue, profitability, and market share. This criterion acknowledges the business’s ability to thrive in its industry or market.
- Customer Focus and Satisfaction: The business should prioritize delivering exceptional customer experiences and demonstrate a strong commitment to customer satisfaction. This criterion assesses the business’s reputation for providing high-quality products, services, and customer support, as well as its ability to build and maintain long-term customer relationships.
- Leadership and Management: The business showcases outstanding leadership and management practices. This includes demonstrating a clear strategic vision, making effective decisions, fostering a strong and inspiring leadership culture, and successfully motivating and engaging employees.
- Employee Engagement and Development: The business should exhibit a commitment to its employees’ well-being, engagement, and professional development. This can include providing opportunities for growth and advancement, fostering a positive work culture, offering competitive compensation and benefits, and implementing employee engagement initiatives.
- Social Responsibility: The business exhibits a strong commitment to corporate social responsibility and has a positive impact on the community and society. This can include engaging in philanthropic activities, implementing environmental sustainability practices, demonstrating ethical business practices, and making valuable contributions to social causes.
- Industry Leadership and Recognition: Takes into account the reputation and recognition of the business within its industry or market. This can include industry awards and accolades, active participation in industry events and associations, and a track record of thought leadership demonstrated through publications, presentations, or contributions to the industry.
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