On Monday 19th November, entries to the 2019-2020 Rural Business Awards officially opened.
The Rural Business Awards are an independent awards programme with a particular focus: the rural business sector. They cover six regions, the North, the Midlands, Wales and Northern Ireland, the South West, the South East, and the East.
Rural Britain is a very special place to live and work, though its businesses are for the most part, similar to their urban counterparts. The differences lie in the fact that rural businesses face their own set of challenges but, despite this, they often have extraordinary ties to their landscape and their community. The Rural Business Awards exist to shine a light on the incredible work of rural businesses across the UK.
Katrina Rowton-Lee, owner of The Courtyard at Wainhill, Runner Up for the South East’s Best Rural Start Up award, said ‘I am incredibly grateful to Anna and Jemma for all their support through their wonderful Rural Business Awards scheme. They give so many small rural voices the chance to unite as a countryside choir!’
The Rural Business Awards are open to any business which operates from a rural base (defined as a settlement of less than 10,000 people), embraces a rural theme, or serves a mainly rural clientele.
With 11 categories, there’s one to fit every kind of business. From brewers to butchers, agricomms to accountants, and farmshops to falconers, each year the RBAs receive an incredibly diverse range of entries, all bound together by their love for rural Britain.
There are a whole host of benefits to being part of the awards, from regional and national recognition, media exposure and PR opportunities, to networking and sharing both your challenges and your successes.
Sue Harbottle-Sear, founder of Konzepts, a finalist in the South East’s Best Rural Start Up and Best Rural Creative or Media-Based Business categories, commented ‘Since announcing we were finalists for the 2018 awards, we have secured a range of new business and a lot of media coverage. Entering the awards has raised our profile and with it our bank balance too. I would encourage any other rural business to get involved in the Rural Business Awards, because you just never know what might happen!’
The RBA team are constantly trying to improve the format of the awards scheme, and there are some exciting changes for the year ahead. Most notably, entry will be completely free.
To enter, all you need to do is sign up to their awards platform and fill in the online form which asks all about your business.
Entries close on Friday 7th June, 2019. Their panel of judges, experts from across the rural sector and the business world, will score each business, using their detailed judging process, then the shortlist will be announced at the start of July.
The six regional finals will take place throughout October 2019, with the national final to follow in February 2020.
So, if you own or work for a rural business, consider entering the Rural Business Awards: a wonderful way to grow your business, reflect on your achievements, and celebrate rural Britain.
For more information, go to www.ruralbusinessawards.co.uk
