1. Prepare your story ahead

As a small company, your story is as significant as a healthy balance sheet. Hence, we recommend preparing your narrative before starting your entry to ensure no important details are overlooked. The BASA Awards values and respects your journey. We want to hear authentic stories and more about the unique inspiration behind your business and the path you've taken to achieve your current status. Often, small businesses don't get the recognition they deserve, and this is the one place where your hard work can be celebrated. Therefore, make sure you don't undersell yourself or your business or write a cliché and tired story. Instead, focus on your inspiring journey, insights, and game-changing achievements.

2. Eligibility period

When writing your entry, focus on your accomplishments since January 2021 . Although some categories may need you to use achievements before 2021, please be informed that the BASA Awards eligibility period only runs from January 2021.

3. Prepare your entries offline

Rather than completing your entry online, we recommend writing it offline first. This approach will help to protect your data in case of computer or system failure. It will also enable you to work on your application at your convenience before submission. You have time until 30 August, 2024 to complete and upload your nominations into our partner platform Zealous.

4. Use the right title for your entries

While it’s not obligatory to include the category name in the title, as judges can tell the category when they review your entry, it is essential to title individual entries. The ideal title is the name and job title of the applicant, such as "John Doe, President." You can also include other text that is relevant to your entry; otherwise, keep it simple.

5. Provide supporting material and links

While it’s not mandatory to include supporting materials in your entry, we highly encourage applicants to do so. Entries without any supporting materials tend to score low. If you don't have any marketing material, you can still include a link to your website.

6. Verify all the links

Before submitting your application, Ensure that all links to images, videos, and other supporting materials function correctly. Click on each link to verify its validity and that it contains the accurate information you wish to share with the judges.

7. Including video and other media

When submitting materials for the Judges' review, it’s crucial to ensure they are readily downloadable. Judges often have limited time and might be unable to wait for materials to download from platforms such as Google Drive, Dropbox, or similar. If you are submitting a video, consider using a link to a hosted version on Vimeo, YouTube, or a similar service, as this allows judges to view the material instantly upon clicking the link. Alternatively, we suggest making materials directly downloadable by attaching them to our servers. This ensures accessibility and enhances the efficiency of the judging process.

8. PR & Marketing Agencies submitting entries for applicants

PR and Marketing Agencies wanting to submit entries for multiple clients can streamline the process by creating a single submission account using the agency’s name, along with its description and contact details. This account can be used to submit entries for all clients. To distinguish each client’s entry, begin each submission with the client’s name and title, for example, "XYZ Company: John Doe, CEO" or "ABC Company: The ABC Company Website." This method allows us to identify that the agency is applying on behalf of their clients. In the event of a win, the client will be acknowledged as the BASA Awards Winner, and the award will be sent to them, not the agency.