How to choose the right category for the Pause Awards?

Entering the Pause Awards is an exciting opportunity to showcase your business’s achievements. But with so many categories to choose from, it can be tough to decide which one is the best fit for your entry.

We’ll guide you through the process of selecting the right category, ensuring you maximise your chances of success.

Understand the Categories:
The first step is to familiarise yourself with all the categories available at the Pause Awards. Each category celebrates different aspects of business success, from innovation and culture to growth and sustainability. For 2024, there are 12 new categories across 5 Category Tracks that can help narrow down which category to select. The tracks are Culture, Excellence, Good, Growth, and Operators, each focusing on different facets of business success. Make sure to read the detailed descriptions of each category on the Pause Awards website to understand what each one entails.

Identify Your Strengths:
Look at your business’s achievements over the past year. What are the standout moments or projects? Are there specific areas where your company excelled, such as launching a new product, implementing a groundbreaking strategy, or making a significant social impact? Identifying these strengths will help you match them with the appropriate category. Remember, the categories are designed to highlight different types of success.

Match Your Achievements to Categories:
Once you’ve identified your strengths, match them to the categories that best fit those achievements. For example, if your business made a significant social impact, consider entering categories under the “Good” track. If you excelled in customer satisfaction, the “Customer Obsessed” category might be the right fit. There are also categories for individual achievements and two categories that are free for public voting: Angel and Venture Cap.

Review Past Winners:
Take a look at the past winners of each category on the Pause Awards page. Specifically, read Breakthrough Stories from past winners on the News page. This can give you an idea of the type of entries that have been successful in the past and help you determine if your achievements align with what the judges are looking for to read from your entry.

Seek Feedback:
Don’t hesitate to seek feedback from colleagues, mentors, or industry peers. They can provide valuable insights and may suggest categories you hadn’t considered. Sometimes an external perspective can help you see where your entry might shine the brightest.

Flexibility in Entry Management:
We understand that picking categories upfront and then signing up might feel like a big decision to make at the start. However, after signing up through our entry management software, Evalato, you can pick categories and manage them in your account. You have the flexibility to write and edit your entry until the final deadline on 30 August, even after you pay. This level of flexibility is unique to the Pause Awards and allows you to perfect your entry over time.

Additional Support:
We also offer fortnightly Info Sessions where you can jump in and ask questions. Feel free to contact us directly for assistance and advice. We provide discounts—30% for Alumni, 21.7% for female founders, and bundles for multiple entries (3, 5, or 10). Additionally, we have partnered with Green Door Co to help you write your entire entry if you need that kind of support.

How to Decide:

Analyse Your Achievements: Review the key accomplishments and projects from the past year. What areas did your business excel in?
Category Descriptions: Read the detailed descriptions of each category on the Pause Awards website to understand the focus and criteria.
Alignment: Match your achievements from the past year to the categories that best highlight your strengths and impact.
Review Past Winners: Look at previous winners to get an idea of the type of entries that have been successful.
Feedback: Get input from colleagues or industry peers to help you make the final decision.
Entry Management: Remember, you can manage and edit your entries until the final deadline, giving you plenty of time to refine your submission.
Additional Support: Take advantage of our Info Sessions, direct assistance, discounts, and partnership with Green Door Co for comprehensive entry support.

Entering the Pause Awards is simpler than it seems. If you know your company’s wins from the past year, just select one or a few, pick the right categories, and enter them for the best match.

By understanding the categories, identifying your strengths, seeking feedback, and utilising the flexible entry management system, you can confidently select the category that best highlights your achievements. Remember to use our additional support options like Info Sessions, direct contact for advice, and discounts.

Good luck with your entry, and we can’t wait to see your breakthrough stories!