THE voting period for the 2014 Hawkesbury local business awards closes today, Wednesday, July 30.
Organisers said hundreds of nominations have already been received following an unprecedented response from the Hawkesbury community.
‘‘Voting is a great way to reward special businesses, and anyone submitting a voting coupon will be in the running to win a Sony PlayStation 4,’’ an awards spokesperson said.
‘‘Every vote matters in the tight race to become a finalist; you have the power to make a difference.’’
‘‘Community members have wholeheartedly thrown their support behind the best local businesses, with thousands of nominations for hundreds of businesses received,’’ a spokesperson said.
‘‘Many businesses and their loyal customers now anxiously await confirmation that their efforts have proved fruitful and resulted in finalist status.
‘‘With the local business awards brand being renowned as a standard of quality, local businesses are eager to be recognised among the elite from Hawkesbury.’’
In order to qualify as a finalist, businesses must receive commendable levels of support from customers and the local community through the nomination process.
Once finalists have been decided, they will be notified and publicly announced, then judging will commence.
Finalists will be judged anonymously on their ability to deliver fundamental business principles.
Judges will evaluate which businesses are able to provide outstanding levels of personalised customer service, the appearance and maintenance of business facilities, appearance of staff, value for money relative to the quality of the product or service offerings, and the merchandising and presentation of product.
Finalist businesses are also given the chance to sell their strengths to the judges through an additional information form, covering details which may not be gleaned by a physical visit.
Customer testimonials and references are also highly valued by the judges.
The awards are sponsored by Hawkesbury City Council and NOVA Employment with support sponsors Richmond Marketplace, Windsor Riverview Shopping Centre, Vintage FM 88.7, Hawkesbury City Chamber of Commerce and Windsor Business Group.
The theme for the 2014 Local Business Awards program is “We’re Here For You” to celebrate the positive impact local business and communities have on one another.
Voting coupons and further information can be found in the Hawkesbury Gazette, Hawkesbury Courier and at thebusinessawards.com.au.