ABOUT THE NATIONAL SMALL BUSINESS AWARDS™
The National Small Business Awards ™ is Lesotho’s most prestigious honor that recognizes and celebrates the best of Small, Mid-Sized and Big Business Visionaries. With a number of notable categories to choose from, The National Small Business Awards ™ is the First Annual Business Recognition Program.
The National Small Business Awards ™ is presented by Maseru Business Club, Women First Self-help Program in Partnership with Selibeng.com. All this organization works to empower and celebrate the local business community through various activities. The aim of these awards is to recognize and celebrate the impact and effort that entrepreneurs and small and medium businesses are doing to the country, economy and society.
2023 Theme :“Celebrating Business and Entrepreneurial Excellence”
Objectives
Ø To aim, raise standards in industries and encourage innovation in businesses.
Ø To recognize and celebrate the achievements of small businesses. These awards aim to acknowledge the hard work, innovation, and success of small business owners and their contributions to the economy.
Ø To promote business development and growth.
Ø To foster community engagement and support local economies and highlight the importance of small businesses in creating jobs, driving innovation, and contributing to the overall well-being of communities.
Awards criteria
Applications are open to any small businesses or entrepreneurs operating in Lesotho, and they are free of charge. Businesses or entrepreneurs may apply in one, several or all categories. Shortlisted submissions will be notified in mid September 2023. The decisions of the judging panel are final. For any queries relating to an application, please contact [email protected] The deadline for the receipt of entries is midnight on Thursday 31, August 2023.
Special Recognition (Top Honors)
Lifetime Achievement: Applicant / nominee should have had outstanding achievements and should also have contributed significantly towards socio-economic growth over a period of time.
Business Woman of the Year award: This award recognizes a female business leader who has made significant contributions to her industry and demonstrated exceptional leadership, innovation, and business acumen.
Businessman of the Year award: This award recognizes a male business leader who has made significant contributions to his industry and demonstrated exceptional leadership, innovation, and business acumen.
Special awards
Young Entrepreneur of the Year: A business owner who has achieved significantly in his entrepreneurial venture at a young age (must be 35 years or less of age as on 31st August 2023).
Entrepreneur of the Year: A business owner who has achieved remarkable success in his entrepreneurial venture.
Woman Entrepreneur of the Year: A female business owner who has achieved remarkable success in her entrepreneurial venture.
Brand of the Year: Whether it is a prelaunch, reformulation, brand extension, or simply a new or better approach, this award recognizes outstanding performance by an existing brand in response to changing trade or consumer needs in the country.
General awards.
Health and Beauty Business of the Year
This award’s motive is to recognize market-leading businesses who stand above their competition and provide high-quality luxury products, services, and treatments.
Media/Entertainment Business of the Year (Online/Offline)
This is given to a business that has demonstrated exceptional performance, innovation, and success in the media and entertainment industry. This award recognizes businesses that have made significant contributions to the field through various forms of media, such as film, television, music, publishing and digital media, broadcasting and more. Thus, the recipient of this award is typically the business that has shown exceptional creativity, audience engagement and a positive industry impact.
Food & Beverage/Water Business of the Year: This award will recognize a business that has introduced a new food/beverage product in the Industry.
Retail Business of the Year: Start-ups or Business growing across niche retail categories for market and product differentiation.
Most Socially Responsible Business of the Year: This honor is presented to a company with the most commendable efforts in championing sustainable responsible business. The recipient adopts an ethical and holistic approach to profit, planet, and people. The winning company takes on a visible role in the society which goes beyond the core business and law requirements, is well reflected in the company’s policies and operations, and ultimately adds value for the company and the society at large.
Local Content Creator Award: This award category recognizes individuals or teams who have created original content in various forms such as videos, podcasts, social media, or blogs that resonated with their local audience. The award acknowledges the creativity, quality, and originality of the content produced.
Restaurant Business of the Year: This award category recognizes the restaurant that has demonstrated exceptional culinary skills, outstanding service, and a unique dining experience. The award acknowledges the restaurant’s commitment to delivering quality food and excellent customer service.
Manufacturing Business of the Year: This award recognizes the manufacturing business that has demonstrated excellence in manufacturing processes, innovation, product development, and customer service. The award acknowledges the company’s commitment to quality and excellence in the manufacturing industry.
Hospitality Business of the Year: This award category recognizes the hospitality business that has provided exceptional service, outstanding facilities, and a unique experience to its customers. The award acknowledges the company’s commitment to providing an exceptional hospitality experience.
Emerging Brand of the Year: This award recognizes a new or emerging brand that has demonstrated exceptional growth, innovation, and success within a particular industry. The award acknowledges the brand’s unique approach, quality products or services, and commitment to customer satisfaction.
Fashion and Design Business of the year: This award recognizes a fashion or design business that has demonstrated outstanding creativity, innovation, and commercial success in its field. Nominees might include clothing brands, accessory designers, fashion retailers, or design studios.
Logistics and Courier Business of the year: This award recognizes a logistics or courier company that has excelled in delivering goods and services to customers in a timely, efficient, and cost-effective manner. Nominees might include shipping companies, package delivery services, or logistics providers.
Photography Business of the year: This award recognizes a photography business that has demonstrated exceptional skill, creativity, and professionalism in its work. Nominees might include portrait studios, wedding photographers, commercial photographers, or fine art photographers.
Travel and Tourism Business of the year: This award recognizes a travel and tourism company that has excelled in providing exceptional experiences to travelers, whether through unique destinations, exceptional customer service, or innovative travel offerings.
INDUSTRY SPECIFIC AWARDS
Mobile Money Service Provider of the Year: This award recognizes a company that provides mobile money services, such as mobile payments, money transfers, and other financial transactions using a mobile device. The award may be given based on factors such as innovation, customer service, security, and user experience.
Farming Business of the Year: This award recognizes a small business that operates in the farming industry, such as crop production, livestock farming, or agricultural services. The award may be given based on factors such as sustainable practices, product quality, innovation, and community impact.
Agro Input Business of the Year: This award recognizes a small business that provides inputs for agriculture, such as seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and other products that help farmers improve their crop yields and quality. The award may be given based on factors such as product quality, innovation, customer service, and sustainability.
Savings and Loans Business of the Year: This award recognizes a small business that provides savings and loans services to individuals and businesses. The award may be given based on factors such as customer service, innovation, financial performance, and community impact.