Thames Valley: Search is on for top local companies

The closing date for this year’s Thames Valley Business Awards is September 30. Here, we put the spotlight on what the judges are looking for in the category for The Dynamic Business Award, sponsored for the third year running by Deloitte.

The award consistently attracts the top players in the field, but this year Deloitte’s Ian Barton, head of corporate finance advisory Thames Valley and leader of the category’s judging panel, believes entrants will need to show just a little bit extra.

“In the past, dynamic would mean high growth, fast moving and successful businesses but I think this year we will be looking for organisations that have perhaps faced up to quite difficult challenges and found ways of dealing with them which demonstrate a different sort of dynamism,” he said.

“It may have meant changing their business model, approaching a market in a different way which has brought new success, or not being afraid to do something differently. At a time when a lot of people have been reading about doom and gloom, the truth is that we are still seeing a lot of businesses who are being highly successful and those are the companies we want to hear from.

“More than in other years, it is less about a numbers game and more about companies who have had to take a bit of a chance and succeeded. It’s also about people, there have been plenty of stories about businesses which have had to shed jobs, but there are others who have been clever and been able to use their employees in different ways, perhaps through retraining with new skills.”

Barton is keen to see entries from a raft of different types of businesses. He recognises that the word dynamic is often associated with hi-tech companies, but says several of the recent finalists have been from a variety of backgrounds.

Last year’s winner, SDL International, was a technology company, but the runners-up and finalists came from the worlds of energy solutions, the media and publishing industries and business consultancy.

“No matter what industry you are in, if you are doing something a little bit different and being successful at it, then we want to hear from you,” added Barton. “This award champions and brightest businesses in the Thames Valley and we want to reward those achievements.”

For more details, or to complete your entry form online, visit www.businessawards.co.uk