Birmingham's best small business success stories are being sought in a competition being run by West Bromwich Albion FC sponsor Intuit QuickBooks and the Birmingham Post with a prize package worth £15,000 up for grabs.
QuickBooks, which is the world’s number one small business accounting software, is inviting SMEs from all sectors to enter the Small Business Big Success competition, with a raft of great prizes on offer to the ultimate winner.
Whatever the line of business people are in – from butcher to builder, café owner to hairdresser and IT consultancy to accountant – the judges want to hear their stories.
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Above all the competition is keen to recognise small business success can come in many forms and that the competition is about more than just finding the biggest, most profitable or fastest growing small business.
Entrants might be starting in business alone for the first time, getting ahead of their business plan, opening a new office, picking up a large new client or increasing the number of employees.
The aim is to acknowledge everyday triumphs achieved as small businesses set-up, grow and succeed.
The winner will be selected by a panel of judges that includes QuickBooks’ 海角视频 country manager Rich Preece, West Bromwich Albion’s sales & marketing director Adrian Wright and Birmingham Post editor Stacey Barnfield.
Visit to take part
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After reviewing all submissions the judges will select a winner who best demonstrates success and how the prize package would help them.
The winner will receive a package worth £15,000 to celebrate their success, as well as support to take their business to the next level.
Richard Preece said: “The West Midlands is an incredibly diverse and thriving business community, made up of hard working people achieving incredible feats every day.
“It takes commitment and ambition to start and build a business, overcoming hurdles every single day.
“We want to celebrate the success of local businesses and give them the support to go on and do even bigger and better things.
“We’ve put together what we think is a pretty compelling prize package to help take the winning business to the next level.
“Our company is committed to helping small businesses succeed with our QuickBooks offerings that make it easy for a business to start, run and grow.
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“We’ve made a major investment in the region through our sponsorship of West Bromwich Albion Football Club and have been incredibly impressed with the passion of small businesses across the area.
“This competition was designed to recognise and celebrate these deserving businesses, so we’re really excited to see what tales of small business success will be uncovered by the entries.”
In addition to £5,000 cash, the winner’s prize includes a full page feature in the Birmingham Post – the West Midlands’ best-read and most respected business title
The winning business will also benefit from advertising at the West Bromwich Albion v Queen’s Park Rangers fixture on Saturday April 4. This will include 20 minutes of coverage on the pitch LED screens, as well as printed content in the West Bromwich Albion matchday programme that day.
The winner can also enjoy day at the Hawthorns to see their business being promoted to include tickets, hospitality and a mascot package.
In addition the winner will receive free QuickBooks small business accounting software for two years and expert clinic sessions with an accountant as well as marketing and social media specialists.
West Bromwich Albion’s sales and marketing director Adrian Wright said: “We work with many SMEs across the West Midlands and it’s important to us to play a big role in the community. To me, this means supporting local businesses and recognising their success.
“Throughout its sponsorship this season, QuickBooks has helped us continue to connect and support small businesses in the region, and this competition is very much a part of that.
“We encourage entrants not to focus on being the biggest or most profitable, it’s about sharing the successes that they’re most proud of.
“I’m looking forward to hearing the stories out there and welcoming the winning business to the Hawthorns for the day.”
How to enter
Businesses who wish to enter should visit where they can tell about their success and how they want to develop their business in 2015.
Entries need to be received before 11.59pm on Monday, March 2 and entrants must be a legal resident or 海角视频 citizen, and be 18 years or older
They must own a small business, defined by having 50 or fewer full-time employees, and registered at Companies House
Entrants must either be the small business owner or an employee, submitting with the permission of the owner
Their business must be based in the West Midlands county (comprising Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Dudley, Solihull, Walsall and Sandwell), Staffordshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Telford & Wrekin or Stoke-on-Trent.