Entries for the UK Xero Awards 2024 are actually open for our accounting, bookkeeping and app companions.
Being an award-winning agency isn’t straightforward, and neither is writing an award-winning entry. So how are you going to put your finest foot ahead when crafting your award submission? In season certainly one of Past Numbers – our new podcast for accountants and bookkeepers – we spoke to Pam Phillips, founder and managing director of award-winning small agency de Jong Phillips, who shared her recommendation on not simply being an award-winning agency, however find out how to pull collectively an award-winning software.
Why enter the Xero Awards?
Since founding de Jong Phillips together with her father in 2015, Pam and her staff have develop into consultants of their area by focusing their efforts on offering subsequent stage accountancy providers for inventive businesses.
De Jong Phillips was a finalist for Small Agency of the 12 months on the Xero Awards in 2021, and got here again once more in 2022 to win the identical class. Pam additionally took residence certainly one of Xero’s highest accolades – Most Beneficial Skilled (MVP).
When requested the way it felt to be recognised by the trade by way of these awards, Pam explains:
“It was thrilling to get acknowledged and actually reassuring – it gave me consolation that we had been on the fitting path and that different individuals believed in us.”
This was particularly essential for Pam, whose observe makes use of Xero and a bunch of different apps from the Xero app retailer to ship the total suite of providers one would count on from an in-house finance operate.
The popularity of the awards assist to draw expertise and win purchasers, however Pam additionally highlighted the significance of the award entry course of and the chance it gave her and her staff to actually look again at what they’d achieved and enhance upon it additional.
“Concentrate on why you’re totally different and why you should win. It helps to focus on all of the belongings you need to have the ability to say, however can’t say but – and this helps to set an agenda for the subsequent 12 months.”
The right way to write an excellent awards entry
Crafting a powerful awards entry takes time. Pam emphasised the significance of permitting a few weeks, from begin to end, to spend money on the awards software.
“Collect all of the proof throughout the staff, determine what message you need to give, after which it’s important to write it in a means that matches [the word limit] – undoubtedly don’t try to do it in a day!”
With regards to writing the entry, Pam says it needs to be a staff effort. She additionally believes the founder or administrators needs to be concerned, to allow them to convey their imaginative and prescient and fervour in an genuine means.
“For previous awards, we brainstormed as a staff, and thought of what it’s that we’ve completed and need to shout about,” Pam explains. “Contain entrepreneurs as effectively – you could be doing a little nice stuff, so by having somebody that may write your entry and current it in an attractive means goes to assist make the entry not solely extra readable, however extra memorable.”
If at first you don’t succeed, strive once more
Regardless of being the recipient of numerous awards, there have been instances when de Jong Phillips have entered, however not taken residence an award. Nonetheless, Pam takes a glass half-full method and sees it as a studying expertise.
“I feel it was the primary Xero Award we entered. We couldn’t put any statistics down and I keep in mind studying concerning the winner, and the winners had pointed to their NPS rating – we didn’t even point out Internet Promoter Scores (NPS)! This was not simply good for our award entry, however good for our enterprise – you’ll be able to at all times be taught from this stuff and make your online business higher,” says Pam.
Recommendation for companies trying to enter the awards
When requested what recommendation she would give to companies trying to enter into an awards programme, Pam highlights 5 key factors:
- Maintain attempting. Even should you’ve not been profitable in a single, it doesn’t imply you received’t achieve success in one other. Your corporation – and standards – will change.
- Information and figures are an essential part of your award entry. Think about leveraging information factors equivalent to NPS, advertising and marketing outcomes and the agency’s development.
- Testimonials from purchasers or employees can assist what you’re saying – so it’s not simply in your individual phrases.
- Honesty is essential. You need to have the ability to authentically speak concerning the work you’ve completed, particularly should you win.
- Have readability and confidence about what it’s that you just do in a different way. Actually imagine in what you’re doing, talk it and take the time to jot down the applying.
Pam provides: “I used to be a decide on the Accounting Excellence Awards one 12 months, so I learn a load of purposes. And those that stood out had been those that might actually discuss what they had been doing that was totally different.”
Get your entries in
Entries for the 2024 UK Xero Awards are actually open and can shut on Friday tenth November. Begin making ready your software at present. Finalists will probably be introduced just about in February, and winners will probably be introduced in April. Dates and particulars to come back.
