Until I started posting about them on this blog, it hadn’t struck me before how many awards there are for small businesses and entrepreneurs.

I’m all for celebrating success and let’s face it small business owners are well deserving of a few plaudits.  And an award is good for business.  Not only for the winners, but for the organisers too, I’ve no doubt.  How about SmallBizPod starting an online business of the year awards?  Let me know what you think.

But back to the latest gongs to be won …

Firstly one of the more unusual awards set up to celebrate  business, the BT Business Essence of the Entrepreneur campaign.  Not an awards, per se, but a chance to be recognised as the epitome of entrepreneurialism.  Judges will select the best 20 entrants who will be photographed by photographer to the stars, Perou.  The picture on the right is of one of last year’s winners.  Very artistic, beautiful shot … not sure what it says about entrepreneurialism.  That said hats off to BT for creating something a little bit different - full details here.

More straight down the line is the National Business Awards sponsored by Orange which has announced its 2007 incarnation today.  It’s open to businesses of any size.  The closing date for entries is 25 July 2007.

Not everyone can be a winner, but there are enough awards around today to spread the love pretty widely, if you pick and choose which to enter.