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Champions are the driving force behind Business Solent – together they promote the business region for the good of all. This award will be presented to the Champion who has clearly shown commitment to the Business Solent Ethos. The judging will focus on their dedication to enhancing and promoting the Solent Region as a great place to work, invest, study, live and enjoy as well as their support for Business Solent in its role as a connector and enabler.

The judges will be looking for:

• Outstanding commitment to promoting the Solent Region on a regional, national and international basis.
• A company that can demonstrate pride in the Solent Region through its involvement in projects and events that bring businesses and people to the Region
• Key involvement in the Business Solent action groups, projects and events.
• An example of partnership working that has benefited the Solent Region.

This award is to recognise a company which best demonstrates success through the innovative application of a new idea, product, method, process or technology. It will go to the company with a creative and different way of working, not only to keep ahead of the competition but also to keep them fresh and to be responsive to customer needs.

The judges will be looking for a company which can demostrate:

• Excellence in the use of market research and development
• A continuing forward thinking approach to creating business success.
• Benefits of the development to the business or customer and the impact this has made to the business.
• Job creation and/or safeguarding.
• Customer happiness and satisfaction.

This award will be presented to an outstanding local business that can demonstrate effective use of technology that has created a considerable competitive or operational improvement, such as improved quality, customer satisfaction and revenue.

The judges will be looking for:

• Use of technology that stands out from its competitors
• Through the use of technology, exceeding the expectations of clients.
• Embracing new technology to improve efficiency, levels of service and the quality of the end product.

This award is in recognition of companies with a genuine and innovative focus on customer service and care. It is designed for businesses who can demonstrate excellent customer service and achievement within that field.

Judging criteria will include customer service objectives and strategy, business performance, customer care, staff development plans and how this has driven business growth.

The judges will be looking in particular for:

• Demonstrating success in the achievement of service excellence through the delivery of customer service initiatives, objectives and strategy.
• Active improvement in employee’s customer service focus through training and development.
• Demonstrating a clear relationship between customer service activities and improved business performance.
• Showing a clear understanding of customer needs.
• Engaging employee enthusiasm for customer care and how this has driven business growth.
• How a focus on customer service has provided a platform for leadership, vision and values.
• Evidence of strong staff support, development and motivation.
• Evidence of financial growth and customer retention driven by customer service excellence.

This award is to recognise, encourage and reward organisations that have made and continue to make a significant contribution to the continuous training and education of individuals or groups.

The judges will be looking for:

• A company which demonstrates a positive commitment to the ongoing training and education of its employees.
• A company which can prove how investment in training has bought success.
• A company which shows how staff have gained the necessary skills to maximise their contribution.
• A company which can show how its people development strategies have improved its performance and created a committed, motivated and effective workforce.

This award will be presented to a dynamic company with less than 50 employees, which demonstrates all round excellence in business. The judging will focus on financial performance, future objectives and the competitive advantage of the business. It will also look at examples of specific strategies which have driven business growth.

The judges will be looking for:

• Commercial success, growth and achievement.
• A company which can demonstrate success in driving forward its business plan.
• A company which is actively developing new products, services and / or new markets.
• A company which can demonstrate a clear relationship between its marketing strategy and the development of the business.
• A clear future plan for growth of the business.
• Innovation.
• Creativity.
• Additional exemplars such as community involvement

This award will go to an outstanding local business which has developed new and innovative business practices to embrace the challenge of climate change. The winning business will demonstrate positive environmental impact through its own processes and behaviour and is likely to be able to demonstrate an increase in business success as a result.

The judges will be looking:

• Evidence of green innovation within your organisation and improved business performance as a result
• Evidence of the organisation’s commitment to improve environmental practices particularly in the reduction of carbon output
• Demonstration of how imaginative solutions to the challenge of climate change have impacted on your business to drive new sales and increase your client base
• How environmental awareness and creative methods to improve your company’s carbon footprint have shaped your business providing competitive advantage within your sector
• Evidence of the green-enablement of your workforce
• Entries will be judged on the extent to which your company meet requirements in areas such as sustainable purchasing, car-free travel, energy efficiency, recycling and resource use, water use and communication of key messages.

Smith & Williamson, the accountancy and financial services group with offices in central Southampton is looking to give its award to the business, which in its view, has managed to show sustainable and consistent growth during 2011. Against a backdrop of continuing economic difficulties, the Smith & Williamson Growth Award seeks to identify those businesses that have flourished in recent years. Entrants will need to be able to demonstrate consistent sustainable growth at either the cashflow or earnings level over the last two years and expect that growth to continue for the foreseeable future. We also welcome organisations that have secured investment to fund expansion. We would encourage applicants to provide information on how such growth has been achieved.

The judges will be looking for:

• Established before 2008
• Profitable in the last three years
• Profits shown significant growth year on year
• Head Office based in the South Coast