I remember the first time I interviewed Gugu Sithole who is the 2022 Veuve Clicquot Bold Women Award Winner, at the AGENDA WOMEN SUMMIT in 2022. I asked her why she had decided to enter the Veuve Clicquot Bold Women Awards and her response was, “It was part of my business strategy” 

Here is something that we don’t often think about. Winning a business award makes you an “award winning business” and that alone garners credibility in rooms when you are not there. I think we can all agree that there are numerous benefits to being positioned as an award winning business. 

In my conversation with Gugu Sithole who is the 2022 Veuve Clicquot Bold Women Award Winner, these were the reasons I believe you should consider entering these awards. 

An opportunity to reflect

This is a soft landing, I know, but perception is everything. When Gugu and I spoke about the process of entering these awards, she spoke about how, as entrepreneurs,  we are often “in it”. We are constantly dealing with the challenges of building a business and we don’t often get time to reflect. 

The process of filling in an online entry  may often feel tedious but when approached from the lens of reflection and a moment to stop and think through everything you have achieved it allows us to take this as an opportunity to identify and appreciate positive experiences and better identify ways that you can improve your practice and service delivery. 

Personal Branding : Position yourself as a thought leader in your respective industry through PR opporunities.  

Business awards are normally accompanied by a whole host of public appearances to push for entries and make the public know about the winner. 

We all know a lot of businesses do not have marketing budgets as most of the business funds are spent on operational costs. Winning a business award places you front and center with the media and offers you an opportunity to talk about your personal brand, your business purpose and unique selling proposition. 

Boost sales and access to a global market 

If you are uncertain about this, I encourage you to watch my conversation with Gugu on Youtube where she spoke about the spike in sales after winning the Veuve Clicquot Bold Women Awards in 2022. 

Her business started attracting a more premium clientele who had seen her on the Bold Women Awards platform and taken up her services. 

Research also shows that you can also boost sales by up to 37% if you win a business award. 

Social Networks : Access to Global Community of like minded women   

According to a KANTAR study on confidence. Women reported a lack of self confidence created by the social networks they belonged to. They mentioned that when they are not surrounded by like minded women who share their hunger for success as well as key interests, they often feel demotivated. 

The bold women network currently has 450 winners around the world. Winning this award gives you access to that network. This is a community of high networked women whose names are synonymous with the notion of boldness. I have seen the power of global networks in my ability to network outside of South African borders and access valuable insights on some of the business challenges we face. 

Girls with Vineyards : Get a Vine named after you on the Veuve Clicquot vineyard

Listen, having a vine named after me at the infamous Veuve Clicquot is not a bad legacy at all. I might just even print a tshirt and let everyone know to talk to me right. 

On a serious note though, when I think about the legacy of Madame Clicquot, the challenges she faced, the triumphs, the journey to creating a global brand, I can’t imagine a bigger honour that for my name to be part of that vineyard. 

Click here to enter the Veuve Clicquot Bold Women Awards. Entries close on the 28th of May 2023.