NOMINATIONS for the fifth annual Clackmannanshire Business Awards close this week.

After the huge success of the last four years the Alloa Advertiser alongside event partners, Business Gateway, Ceteris, Developing the Young Workforce Forth Valley, Diageo, DigitalBoost and Highland Reserve Forces and Cadets Association are gearing up for another fantastic evening where we will be rewarding and celebrating the local Clackmannanshire business economy.

The event has created a platform for local businesses and employees to demonstrate how their work, products, business strategies and services are making an impressive contribution within Clackmannanshire and further afield.

Clackmannanshire has a wide and diverse business community. With amazing companies that deserve to be recognised for their innovation through to social enterprises and businesses who go out their way to ensure customer satisfaction.

The local business community is thriving so we want to hear about those business based right here in the wee county who have great success stories to celebrate. The prestigious awards gala dinner year will take place on Thursday, August 30, 2018 at The Alloa Town Hall.

The awards will go to companies and their dedicated employees that are leading the way. Earn your business the recognition for its achievements and reward staff for making your business what it is. Nominations can be placed by the business themselves, employees or customers.

How to place a nomination

It couldn’t be easier and will only take around 30 minutes to complete.

Nominations are done through the event website at http://newsquestscotlandevents.com/events/clacksawards/ or you can access it through the Alloa Advertiser website; just follow the links to Clacks Business Awards.

Read though the award categories and criteria and submit your nominations.

You can place more than one nomination within different award categories.

Earn your business the recognition for its achievements and reward staff for making your company what it is.

Nominations can be placed by the business themselves, employees, customers or suppliers.

Previous winners include Inglewood House and Spa, Airbornne Lens and Rhona McCallum Ltd to name a few. These awards are open to everyone and we encourage you to shout about the great work taking place right here in Clackmannanshire.

Please note that any information provided as part of the nomination may be used within the Alloa Advertiser and one of the editorial team could be in touch. It’s FREE and GREAT publicity for your business! Don’t delay nominate today!

There are eleven categories and you have until Thursday, July 12, 2018 to enter.

The prestigious awards dinner will take place on Thursday, August 30, 2018 at Alloa Town Hall and promises to be a night full of celebration and entertainment.

This year’s categories open for nominations are:

Business of the Year Award – sponsored by Ceteris

This award is to recognise a business that has had outstanding commercial growth within their industry sector.

Judges will be looking for businesses that can demonstrate innovative projects, impressive results and a focus on employee engagement.

Margaret Mary Rafferty, managing director of Ceteris (Scotland) Ltd., said: "We are absolutely delighted to continue our long-standing status as a partner organisation to the prestigious Clacks Business Awards.

"This year we are sponsoring the new award of “Business of the Year”. It’s the big one, the final award of the evening and the finalists should be able to present innovative solutions, sound financial judgement, commercial growth and a focus on employee engagement and development.

"We look forward to rewarding a pro-active, successful and forward-thinking local business with this unrivalled award, the highest accolade of the evening, Clackmannanshire’s Business of the Year.

Best Not-For-Profit Organisation Award

From public sector agencies to third sector- charities, community groups, social enterprises and voluntary organisations, Clackmannanshire has them all.

This award is to recognise the incredible achievements of our best not-for-profit organisations headquartered in Clackmannanshire.

Community Spirit Award

This award recognises a business or company that put’s the community at the heart at what they do. From staff volunteering hours to CSR initiatives, has your company put giving back high on the agenda? We want to hear from businesses that have made a positive impact on the local community.

Embracing Digital Technology Award – sponsored by DigitalBoost

Digital platforms, communication and strategies are essential for every business.

Are you a business who has implemented a digital element, such as an e-commerce system or a social platform, that has revolutionised the processes in your company?

Have you embedded a digital system that has improved customer experience? Tell us about how digital has helped your business grow.

Gillian Timmons, Business Gateway Forth Valley Manager and DigitalBoost Programme Steering Group Member, said: “Winning a Clackmannanshire Business Award is not only an achievement in itself it is also a great way to showcase your business to your peers and, importantly, existing and potential customers. The deadline is approaching so if you don’t want to miss out, get your entry in now."

Excellence in Customer Service Award

Customers are very important in all businesses and we want to recognise a business that has gone above expectations. If you offer excellent customer service within your business practice, then we want to hear from you today.

Most Promising New Business Award – sponsored by Business Gateway

It takes something special to make your mark in business. This award will go to a new Clackmannanshire business that demonstrates an organic growth strategy and has achieved outstanding levels of sales, profit and market share improvement.

Alison Davidson, manager of the Business Gateway service in Clackmannanshire, said: “The Clackmannanshire Business Awards have become established as one of the highlights in the business calendar. The awards programme provides a fantastic platform for businesses to highlight their achievements and we would urge any businesses who haven’t entered to get their applications in before the deadline."

Success through Sustainability Award

Responsible and remarkable. The winner of the award for sustainability will be a company that can show a consistent commitment to social and environmental improvements as part of its economic strategy.

It will have systems in place to improve resource efficiency, have capacity and responsibility to contribute to socio-ecological improvements and engage with communities and other businesses to create a more sustainable economy.

Does your company have a sustainable strategy that could be rewarded in 2018?

Excellence in Staff Development – sponsored by Highland Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association

The workforce is the very heart of every business and its most important asset. We want to recognise a business which supports its employees to be the best they can be.

Are you innovative in your training initiatives, do you strive to develop the skills of your workforce, do you recognise and reward progression internally for members of staff? If so we want to hear from you today.

A spokesperson for the Highland Reserve Forces and Cadets Association said: "The greatest asset of any business is the workforce and a motivated, trained and valued workforce is worth its weight in gold.

"If you can demonstrate how you support your staff to develop and thrive in a positive workplace then we want to hear from you."

Most Impressive Employee of the Year

We understand that most businesses wouldn’t be where they are without the strong workforce behind them. We want to hear about an employee that has gone above and beyond the call of duty over the last year.

Let’s celebrate their hard work, achievements and outstanding contribution to their role and business.

Family Business of the Year

This category is for a family business of any size, in any sector, which has enjoyed outstanding success. Are you a business steeped in family history or a new start-up enjoying a successful start to your family business career, then we what to hear from you!

Apprenticeship Award

This category is to celebrate Apprentices across all sectors, and recognising an individual who is set for a successful career in their chosen field.

Whether your Apprenticeship programme specialised in engineering, healthcare or professional services, we want to highlight an individual who demonstrated significant improvement, a great work ethic and is an ambassador for Apprentices in the Clackmannanshire Area.