I Want Your Company To Get A Spark

I want your company to be awarded.

I’ll get to why in a bit, but first, I want to give you some context on where I’m coming from.

Chances are, if you’re reading this, you’ve probably started a business and are pretty tapped into what it takes to run one. It’s a lot of work! It began with an idea, a product, a service, and then, over time, with a lot of rolled-up sleeves, evolved into a business. And for those of you who put some serious thought into how your business connects with the community: You’re my people.

Community connection is a big part of what I do at Better Business Bureau (BBB) Foundation. And while fostering trust between businesses and consumers is part of our gig, the piece I’m truly passionate about is in recognizing the positive impact entrepreneurs and new businesses have on our marketplace.

That’s where I come in. I started working in the marketing department of BBB Denver in 2017. And in that time, I've learned two important things:

1) There are incredible businesses starting every day in our community that truly go above and beyond for their staff and their customers. These businesses are built on integrity and hang their hat on doing what they say they're going to do.

2) Not everyone knows this about BBB, but there’s no other organization out there that specifically recognizes businesses for doing the right thing. Especially those businesses just getting started and looking to establish their track record in the marketplace.

And that’s why, when presented with an amazing opportunity to revive our BBB Foundation last year, I leapt at the chance to expand our awards programs to include a space to recognize young businesses and their leaders.

Since 2004, BBB has gone on to spotlight 65 businesses in the Denver area, acting on an opportunity to celebrate these promising organizations at a crucial juncture in their development. And if there’s one goal I have in writing this article, it’s to spread the word about BBB’s purpose in recognizing businesses for being the best at advancing marketplace trust.

In other words, part of our mission is to shine a light on the up-and-coming leaders who make Denver a better place to do business.

If that describes you and your organization, I want to put BBB’s Spark Awards for Entrepreneurship on your radar. These awards recognize the next generation of marketplace role models in our community and are only granted to businesses less than three years old, or with an owner aged 35 or younger.

And for all those deserving businesses bringing fresh energy, optimism and growth to our community, a prestigious award could be a difference-maker. Maybe it’s a boost in exposure, a company culture lift, or an influx of interest for new jobseekers. But, especially for young businesses, the payoff is a bounty of credibility. A nomination or a win is an endorsement of everything you do. (Which happens to be handy in gaining a customer’s trust.)

So, as a proud Denverite, I want our best and brightest entrepreneurs to be awarded. My job is quite literally to be on the lookout for young startups fighting the good fight for their customers. If that’s your business, check out the Spark Awards, would you? Let me know you’re stirring up some serious trust.

Get started on your Spark Awards application today: https://www.bbb.org/local/1296/bbb-awards/spark