We have some exciting news to share.

Bluebells Bookkeeping has been awarded the Bronze Award for Bookkeeping Team of the Year at the Accounting Excellence Awards, and we couldn’t be more proud.

It’s one of those moments that makes you stop, reflect and feel genuinely grateful for the work you do, the clients you serve, and the team you’ve built. Receiving that recognition from within our industry means the world to us.

But beyond the celebration, it’s also got us thinking, because we know plenty of our clients are doing incredible work that deserves to be recognised too.

So this one’s for you. Here’s why you should seriously consider putting yourself forward for an award.

“But I’m Not the Type to Enter Awards”

We hear this a lot. And we get it. Putting yourself forward can feel uncomfortable, especially if you’re the kind of person who just gets on with the job without making a fuss.

Entering awards isn’t about ego. It’s about evidence. It’s about saying to your clients, your friends, and your industry: we are good at what we do, and here’s the proof.

If you’re doing great work, and you are, you owe it to your business to let people know about it.

The Real Benefits of Entering Awards

1. Credibility That Money Can’t Buy

A commendation, shortlisting, or win from a respected industry body carries a weight that no amount of marketing spend can replicate. It’s independent, third-party validation that your business meets a high standard.

For clients considering who to trust with their finances, that kind of credibility matters enormously. It’s the difference between saying “we’re good” and having someone else say it for you.

2. Visibility in All the Right Places

Award nominations and wins get you noticed. Whether it’s coverage on the awards organisation’s website, mentions in industry publications, or simply the badge on your website and email signature,  the visibility you gain from an award entry puts your name in front of people who might not have found you otherwise.

Even being shortlisted is worth shouting about. It places you alongside the best in your field, and that association counts.

3. A Brilliant Boost for Your Team

Running a small business can be relentless. It’s easy for you and your team to get caught up in the day-to-day and forget to acknowledge just how far you’ve come.

Going through an awards process- pulling together your story, your achievements, your impact,  is a powerful reminder of everything you’ve built. And when the recognition comes? It means a lot. It’s a moment of shared pride that strengthens team culture and reminds everyone why they do what they do.

I thoroughly enjoyed putting our award nomination together and reflecting on how far we’ve come over the past few years; it made me feel immensely proud of what we’ve achieved as a team.

4. A Reason to Reflect on Your Business

The process of writing an award entry forces you to articulate what makes your business special. What do you do differently? What results have you achieved for your clients? What challenges have you overcome?

Those are questions worth sitting with, whether you win or not. Many business owners find that going through the process brings real clarity about their strengths, their story, and where they want to go next.

5. Marketing Content That Works Hard for You

Win or lose, an award entry gives you content. A shortlisting announcement, a behind-the-scenes post about the process, a celebration post if you win, all of it tells a story about your business that resonates with clients and prospects alike.

People buy from people they trust. Sharing your journey through an awards process builds that trust in an authentic, engaging way.

Where to Start

If you're not sure where to begin, here are a few places to look for relevant awards as a business owner:

• Local and regional business awards - your local chamber of commerce, council, or business network will often run annual awards. These are a brilliant starting point and a great way to raise your profile in your community.
• National small business awards - organisations like the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and the British Small Business Awards recognise outstanding SMEs across a wide range of categories.
• Sector-specific awards - almost every industry has its own awards. A quick search for "[your sector] awards UK" will surface more options than you might expect.
• Employer and team awards -  if you're proud of your workplace culture or how you've grown your team, look for awards that celebrate great employers. These carry real weight with both clients and future hires.
• Awards by business stage -  some programmes focus specifically on start-ups, scaling businesses, or long-established independents. Find the one that reflects where you are right now.

Start with one. You don't need to enter everything at once, just find the one that feels most aligned with what you do and give it a go.

A Note on the Process

Award entries do take time. You’ll need to gather evidence, write clearly about your achievements, and make a compelling case for why you deserve to win. If that feels daunting, it doesn’t have to be a solo effort.

At Bluebells Bookkeeping, we did it as a team, pulling all the relevant information together

Having the right information organised and ready makes the writing process so much smoother.

You’ve Earned It

We entered the Accounting Excellence Awards because we believed in what we’d built. Winning Bronze for Bookkeeping Team of the Year confirmed what we hoped was true, that the work we put in, the care we show our clients, and the standards we hold ourselves to are genuinely award-worthy.

We’d love to see our clients feel that same sense of recognition.

So if you’ve been sitting on the fence about entering an award,  this is your sign. Take the leap. Tell your story. Let your work speak for itself.



And if you need a cheerleader in your corner, you know where to find us.