Rules

The Successful You Awards (SYA), managed by Small Business BC (SBBC), is free to enter and open to all new or existing small businesses operating in British Columbia, Canada. 

A small business is defined as one with fewer than 50 employees, or a business operated by a person who is self-employed and without paid help.

General Eligibility

  • You, as the nominee, must be starting or growing a small business in British Columbia, Canada.
  • You must be the founder/owner of the business or have had (or will have) a significant impact on the company if acquired.
  • You must own (or will own) shares in the company, hold (or will hold) a senior executive title and/or be the chief decision maker. You must be responsible (or plan to be responsible) for the day-to-day management and the financial bottom line of the business.
  • Past SYA finalists (Top 10 or Top 5) and nominees may re-enter into the same or alternate categories the following year. Past SYA winners are prohibited from entering the category in which they won, but are eligible to enter alternate categories should they meet the eligibility criteria.
  • Nomination applications must be submitted online by 11:59pm on November 30, 2012.
  • You must review the specific eligibility criteria for each award category prior to entering the contest. Small Business BC reserves the right to disqualify any entries that do not meet specific award criteria.
  • Nominees must not operate businesses that are sexually exploitive or that feature sexually explicit entertainment, products or services; businesses that are engaged in or associated with illegal activities; businesses trading in countries that are proscribed by the Canadian federal government; and any other commercial activities deemed inappropriate by Small Business BC.

General Rules

  • SBBC reserves the right to update the Rules of the SYA at any time and will do our best to keep you informed of changes, but it is ultimately your responsibility to be aware of any updates.
  • Nominees understand that the SYA should not be construed as an endorsement or determination of future success of your business.
  • Non-Profit Organizations are NOT eligible for the Best Company Award because this award is reviewed as a commercial venture and will recognize a nominee based on a for-profit business.
  • Franchisees are NOT eligible for the SYA because you must be the founder of the original business concept and structure. BC based franchisors are eligible to enter if they meet specific award criteria and have less than 50 employees in their corporate office/headquarters.
  • Small Business BC staff members are not eligible to enter the SYA.
  • Businesses may be nominated in one or more categories as long as the business meets the eligibility criteria for each award.
  • The SYA judging panel will be made up of selected representatives from the B.C. business community. By entering the SYA, you accept that the judges decisions will be FINAL.
  • All shortlisted finalists authorize SBBC to identify them (name/picture) in connection with the SYA through press, broadcast and online promotions.
  • There are 3 rounds in the SYA selection process:
    • Nomination & Votes: The Top 10 finalists, in each award category, will be shortlisted based on top votes and announced by December 13, 2012. Vote tallies will not be made available to the public, or to the nominated companies, due to the normalization calculation process.
    • Shortlist Applications: The Top 5 finalists, in each award category, will be selected from the Top 10 shortlisted nominees based on top scores on the application forms and announced by January 30, 2013.
    • Business Pitch Presentations: One winner, in each award category, will be selected from the top 5 finalists based on the top score on your Business Pitch Presentation and announced at the SYA Ceremony on February 28, 2013.

Nomination Rules

  • Nominations are self-administered and you may enter in more than one award category.
  • Contest entries must be submitted ONLINE through the SYA website. Small Business BC will not accept entries via mail, in-person, fax or email.

Voting Rules

  • You, as a nominee, are encouraged to share your nomination with your network to collect votes via email, Twitter and Facebook.
  • The voting period to shortlist the top 10 nominees, in each award category, will be from October 1, 2012 - November 30, 2012.
  • Voting closes at 11:59pm on November 30, 2012.
  • Only one vote per person is allowed per nominee. Votes for each nominee will be tracked by IP address to ensure multiple voting does not occur.
  • All votes will be normalized based on the 2011 BC Regional District population figures in order to create equal opportunity for all small businesses across BC.
  • The Top 10 nominees (in each award category) will be shortlisted based on top votes to move forward to the Shortlist Applications round.

Shortlist Application Rules

  • As a Top 10 shortlisted nominee in your award category, you will receive a link to an application form by December 13, 2012. You must submit the completed form, with supporting documents (if requested) by 11:59pm on January 11, 2013.
  • The SYA judging panel will review your application form and supporting materials to determine if you are one of the Top 5 finalists to move forward to the next round, Business Pitch Presentations.

Business Pitch Presentation Rules

  • As a Top 5 finalist in your award category, you will be requested to present a 10 minute pitch to a judging panel at the SBBC Vancouver office (or via Skype or videoconference if outside the Lower Mainland).
  • Pitch dates will take place on the following dates:
    • Best Company: February 19, 2013
    • Best Concept: February 12, 2013
    • Best Green Business: February 13, 2013
    • Best Employer: February 14, 2013
    • Best Online Marketer: February 15, 2013
    • Best Community Impact: February 18, 2013
  • Details on the presentation format will be provided to you when you have been notified as one of the top 5 finalists.
  • Pitches will be followed by a short Q & A session from the judging panel.
  • After all of the finalists have completed their pitches, the judging panel will decide on the winners for each category based on each of the awards' criteria. Judges decisions are final. Winners will be selected on the day of the pitch but not announced until the Successful You Awards Ceremony on February 28, 2013.

Prize Rules

  • The winner of each award category will be rewarded a ONE YEAR ACCESS PASS to Small Business BC Seminars and ‘Ask the Expert’ Services. 
  • The One Year Access Pass includes:
  • The One Year Access Pass excludes:
    • Seminar Packages including, but not limited to, the Basics of Business and the Business Plan FastTrack.
    • Advisory Services including, but not limited to, Business Plan Review Services, Market Research Advisory Service and Trade Advisory Service.
  • Any employee of the winning business may participate on behalf of the business owner, however only ONE person may access SBBC’s resources at any given time. All services must be accessed during a one year period commencing March 1, 2013 and ending March 1, 2014. Any education or expert services wishing to be attended after that time must be paid in full through normal SBBC booking procedures.  
  • All services MUST be booked online (www.smallbusinessbc.ca) or through a SBBC Client Services Representative using the unique Access Code printed on your SBBC ACCESS PASS. SBBC reserves the right to make changes to the ACCESS PASS usage and to end the privilege of the card holder if the rules are not followed. 

Confidentiality Clause

  • SBBC agrees to keep all applications and related documents confidential and agrees to reproduce / distribute / communicate the information within, except to the members of the judging panel, without expressed written consent of the contest entrant.
  • All nominations, applications and business pitch presentations will be kept confidential, available only to the judging panel, and kept in a secure location during the judging process.

Timeline

  • November 30, 2012 (11:59pm) - Nominations & Voting Deadline
  • December 13, 2012 - Top 10 Shortlisted Nominees (in each category) Announced
  • January 11, 2013 - Shortlist Applications Due
  • January 30, 2013 - Top 5 Finalists Announced
  • February 11- 19, 2013 - Business Pitch Presentations (Top 5 Finalists)
  • February 28, 2013 - SUCCESSFUL YOU AWARD CEREMONY (Winners Announced)