Darrin Walsh: Plenty of reasons to enter annual awards

Darrin Walsh

Well it is that time of year again when I start focussing my attention on the Westpac Business Excellence awards.

The closing date for entries is July 24. Entrant workshops will be run by Westpac on June 17 and June 19. The gala dinner is on October 10.

This year marks the 25th year of the business awards in Rotorua and I have no doubt it has come a long way since its inception - the gala dinner being one of the major events on the business calendar.

So why should you enter your business in this year's awards?

There are many reasons why businesses enter but firstly it is about developing and growing your business.

There is a rigorous judging process in place which has been developed and documented over the past 25 years. This ensures that the judges examine your processes and systems and give feedback to you on their findings. This allows you to discover the things you are doing well, learn from the things that perhaps you are note doing so well and change your processes so that your business grows.

It is also a good way to showcase your business to the Rotorua region. If you are lucky enough to become a finalist in your category then there is an enormous amount of publicity that comes with it.

I would like to dispel the myth that you have to give your financial accounts to enter the awards.This is not true - however our finalists are asked to give some key financial stats so that an independent accountant can calculate some ratios that test the businesses solvency.

This year sees the return of the Emerging Young Leader of the Year award - sponsored by Waiariki Institute of Technology. This award recognises the rising star in the Rotorua business community. Aged 18 to 40, they will be making a huge contribution to their organisation through leadership and innovation.

-Darrin Walsh is chief executive of the Rotorua Chamber of Commerce.