![Kenny Springs Solicitors won Business of the Year at the 2022 Carillon Business Awards. Picture by Jacinta Carroll Kenny Springs Solicitors won Business of the Year at the 2022 Carillon Business Awards. Picture by Jacinta Carroll](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/gfyFBZ2A3aREPWrpf4KzA3/72fac387-e159-41a3-a4f0-6aea908a1859.jpeg/r0_448_4032_2930_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
IT'S time for the community to have its say on the best businesses in Bathurst.
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The Carillon Business Awards are back for another year and, as of Monday, May 15, entries are open in both the general and People's Choice categories.
Members of the public are able to nominate businesses and staff for the People's Choice categories, while it is up to businesses to enter themselves into the other categories in the awards.
Businesses can enter one or more categories by submitting their entry through the awards portal, with entries open until July 14.
There are 13 categories in the business section, with all of these to be judged by a panel of independent judges, who will review each entry and choose the overall winner.
Bathurst Business Chamber treasurer Nathan Pearce said there are a number of good reasons why businesses should put themselves forward.
"The night itself is great fun and to be in the running on the night, before I was on the board, that was a really exciting evening, so it's a fun thing for businesses to be involved in," he said.
"Obviously, there's a marketing point of view. If you can stick that little business award winner at the bottom of your marketing campaigns, that can be a game-changer for some businesses.
"And, from a promotions point of view as well, when you win those categories you can move up to the Western Region awards, so that pathway's quite cool, and we've had some big winners from Bathurst there over the years."
Mr Pearce said entering the awards is also a good opportunity for business owners to familiarise themselves with application writing, a skill that can be used in industry awards.
Judging for the awards will commence on July 17, as will popular voting in the four People's Choice categories.
The number of People's Choice categories has increased from two to four.
While the award for Bathurst's Favourite Business remains, the Favourite Employee award has been scrapped and replaced with three others.
Now there are People's Choice categories for Bathurst's Favourite Tradie, a Health, Fitness and Wellbeing employee, and one for Hospitality.
Mr Pearce said the change to the popular categories was due to interest.
"We had huge interest in those sections last year, so we thought that was worth just trying to extend that excitement," he said.
Another change to the awards is that there will be no finalist night.
Instead, the finalists and winners in each category, including the overall Business of the Year, will be announced at the gala dinner on September 9 at Bathurst Goldfields.
To enter or nominate in the Carillon Business Awards, visit the Bathurst Business website.
Tickets for the gala dinner are expected to go on sale before the end of May.
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