Seven reasons why you should enter the 2024 Entrepreneur of the Year® awards

Business Partners Limited has opened entries for the 36th edition of its annual Entrepreneur of the Year® awards. Themed “Rooted in Excellence. Celebrating Homegrown Businesses that Bloom,” the awards recognise and honour entrepreneurs who have achieved success in their respective fields, despite the challenges faced by South African businesses. Entries close on 31 August 2024.

Here are 7 reasons why you should enter the 2024 Entrepreneur of the Year® awards:

1. The cash prize money – we have R2 million in prizes including a cash lump sum can offer you the potential to pay off existing business finance debt or use the capital for new business requirement.
2. Access to business experts and independent analysis of your business – the in-depth judging process allows you to get an independent and fresh perspective on your business as well as learn valuable lessons about your business plan and model.
3. Increase the profile of your business – if you reach finalist stage of the awards, the awareness that your company receives can have a significant knock-on effect for your business’ brand and bottom line.
4. Acknowledging a business’ true value and capabilities – entrepreneurs are often so involved in the operations of the business that they don’t realise the true success of the business and what it may be worth and the Entrepreneur of the Year® awards push for you to analyse your own business’ worth.
5. Influence future potential entrepreneurs – help educate the youth about what entrepreneurship entails to motivate them to select entrepreneurship as a viable career path.
6. Influence Government legislation – sharing your story can help influence Government legislation by being the voice of entrepreneurs. This in turn can help to create a conducive entrepreneurial eco-system where businesses can thrive.
7. Expanded network of likeminded people – you will be exposed to a group of people who have the same objective as you. The awards will give you the opportunity to engage with other credible business owners.

The competition is open to entrepreneurs who own small and medium-sized enterprises in South Africa and the categories include:

1. The Emerging Entrepreneur category. This category is open to an entrepreneur who has been in their present business for a minimum of one (1) year and a maximum of five (5) years on the date the entry form is received by the steering committee. There are no limitations in terms of turnover. The controlling owner must be stated.
2. The Small Business Entrepreneur category: This category is open to an entrepreneur who runs a business, irrespective of length of time during which it has been active, with a turnover of up to R30 million in the tax year immediately preceding the date of entering the competition. The controlling owner must be stated.
3. The Medium Business Entrepreneur category: This category is open to an entrepreneur who runs a business, irrespective of the length of time during which it has been active, with a turnover of more than R30 million in the tax year immediately preceding the date of entering the competition. The controlling owner must be stated.
4. The Job Creator of the Year® Award category: This category is open to an entrepreneur who not only employs a significant number of employees, but also plays a key role in uplifting, upskilling and training them. These are business owners who make a dent in the unemployment rate of their community, area, province and country where the business is situated. The controlling owner must be stated.
5. Resilient Entrepreneur of the Year®: This category is open to an entrepreneur who has displayed resilience in the face of adversity or business challenge, be it challenges emanating from the Covid-19 pandemic or natural disasters such as floods. This entrepreneur has faced the challenge head-on, pivoted their business and managed to steer it back to success.
6. Innovator of the Year category: This category is open to an entrepreneur who has the ability to:

• Reinvent the way business is done in his/her industry, or
• Be innovative in the product or service being offered to the market, or
• Find a way of drawing the best qualified and technical people in their industry and keeping them by creating a special environment where employees can flourish.

The controlling owner must be stated.

 The Entrepreneur of the Year® category is open to the overall outstanding entrepreneur who outshines their competition. The winner for this category is selected from the group of finalists for the year.

By entering the Business Partners Entrepreneur of the Year® competition, you have the opportunity to gain valuable recognition, mentorship, and resources to propel your businesses to the next level. Visit https://www.eoy.co.za to learn more and apply today!