For fashion and beauty professionals putting together a creative entry for an industry competition may seem like a time-consuming and expensive task when you’ve got a business to run, but the benefits you could reap from entering are priceless.
You don’t need us to tell you that setting up in this industry and getting your first big break is tough. With so many other eager and budding creatives to compete against it can be difficult to get noticed.
If you don’t already participate in industry competitions and awards ceremonies then we definitely recommend you add it to your business plan, let us explain why.
Why enter industry competitions?
Prizes
The most obvious incentive for entering industry competitions is some of the spectacular and potentially career-changing prizes that are on offer. Prizes often include:
• Cash
• Sponsorship
• Working with/having your product stocked by a respected brand
• Mentoring
But don’t make the mistake of thinking that you need to win first prize to benefit from entering an industry competition. Apart from the prizes, there are a whole host of other reasons why you should be entering, including:
Publicity
Competitions are often judged by a panel of industry experts, making them a great way of getting your name and work out there and noticed by the people that matter. Details of the competition, entries, events and winners are often featured in both online and offline publications. Any publicity that you and your work receive from being entered could attract the attention that you need to take your business to the next level, even if you don’t end up winning first prize!
Reputation
If you win, or are even just shortlisted, this is a great thing to be able to advertise on your website, social media, business premises and marketing materials. Being able to say you’re an award-winning brand or salon will also help you to attract the right people to work with.
Staff morale and development
If you are more than just a one man band then working together as a team to create your competition entry can be an energising and exciting break from the norm, and a massive buzz and morale boost for the team if you win!
Increase profitability
People trust award-winning brands and so are prepared to pay more to work with them.
New clients and contacts
Putting yourself and your work out there is a great way of meeting and grabbing the attention of other people in the industry that you may never have been put in touch with or gotten your work in front of otherwise. Entering competitions can be a great way to network and win new business and contacts.
Whether you’re a hair stylist, model, fashion designer or makeup artist, you’ll be able to find countless competitions and awards to enter in your field. If you’re not sure where to start, try using a website like www.awardsfinder.com. Some awards may require a fee to enter, a bigger time commitment or more experienced entrants than others, so do your research carefully to find the competitions that best suit your level of experience.
