Yesterday started like any other day, until I opened my emails to find a congratulatory message that left me more puzzled than pleased. The Frog in the Craft had apparently won “Best Heritage Textile Craft Workshop 2025 – Nottinghamshire” from SME News/AI Global Media.
My first thought wasn’t excitement or pride – it was confusion. I knew I hadn’t applied for any awards, I think I would have remembered!
The Investigation Begins
Rather than immediately celebrating or sharing the news, I decided to dig deeper. Something felt off, and in today’s world of sophisticated marketing schemes and even more sophisticated scams, it’s always worth being cautious.
Here’s what I did:
- Researched the organization on LinkedIn and found both SME News and the sender, Melissa, had legitimate profiles
- Looked up previous winners and discovered they’d been running these awards for seven years, with hundreds of winners across all business sectors
- Reached out to business networks I’m part of, including The Blue Stockings Society, to ask if anyone had experience with these types of awards
- Had a structured discussion with Claude AI to evaluate whether this would actually benefit my customers and business
- Asked Melissa specific questions about the judging process, criteria, and research methodology
What I Discovered
The investigation revealed that while this wasn’t a scam, it was what’s known as a “vanity award” – a legitimate but essentially commercial enterprise designed to sell promotional packages to small businesses.
The process worked like this:
- They create awards across numerous business categories
- Research businesses online using “public-facing content” and customer reviews
- Send congratulatory emails offering a free entry into the winners directory on their website
- Sell promotional packages ranging from basic listings to premium marketing materials
The judging was done entirely in-house by their media company, with no independent industry experts or heritage craft specialists involved. While their criteria seemed reasonable on paper, the execution was generic across all business sectors.
The Trust Question
Here’s what really bothered me about the whole situation: even though most of my customers wouldn’t recognize the organization behind the award, they might still assume it was a significant achievement if I proudly displayed it on my website or social media.
That would feel like a fundamental breach of trust to me.
My customers trust means everything to me and, most importantly, to my business. Without my customers trust, I simply don’t have a business.
When they book a workshop or recommend me to a friend, they’re doing so because of:
✅ The quality of what I teach
✅ The welcoming atmosphere I create
✅ Their actual experience in my workshops
✅ The genuine connections we make over shared creativity
❌ Not because some random organization that judges hundreds of businesses across all sectors decided to give me a certificate
What Real Recognition Looks Like
The recognition that truly matters comes from my customers / my workshop participants. It’s found in:
- The lovely messages they send after workshops
- The photos they share of their finished projects
- The friends their bring along to future sessions
- The way their face lights up when they master a new technique
- The recommendations they make to others
- The trust they place in me to teach them traditional skills
These authentic expressions of satisfaction and trust are worth more than any manufactured award could ever be.
The Decision
After careful consideration, I politely declined SME News’ offer.
Here’s part of what I wrote back:
“After careful consideration, I have decided not to proceed with the complimentary package at this time. While I’m grateful for the recognition, I feel that my marketing efforts would be better focused on other opportunities that align more closely with my target audience in the heritage crafts sector.”
Sometimes the most authentic thing you can do in business is say “thank you, but no thank you” to things that don’t align with your values, even when they might seem like opportunities.
Quick Guide for Fellow Small Business Owners
If you receive similar award notifications, here are some questions worth asking:
- Who are the judges? Legitimate awards typically showcase their expert panels
- What was the selection process? How did they find and evaluate your business?
- Who else was nominated? Real awards usually have multiple contenders they can reference
- What’s the business model? Are they primarily selling promotional packages?
- Will it add value to your business? Will it make your business more valuable? Will it help your bottom line in the long run?
- Will this matter to your customers? Do your actual customers know or care about this organization?
The key is evaluating whether the recognition will genuinely benefit your business and customers, or if it’s just an expensive way to display a certificate that impresses no one who matters to your success.
Conclusion
My customers’ trust is precious, and I’ll always choose to honor that over any shiny, gold-foiled certificate.
In a world full of manufactured recognition and paid-for credentials, the most valuable currency remains the authentic relationships we build with the people we serve.
The real award isn’t a certificate on the wall – it’s the moment when someone discovers a love for heritage crafts through one of my workshops, or when they feel proud of something they’ve created with their own hands.
That’s the only recognition worth having.
