Thank you for voting!

I am delighted that Beyond Business Ltd, my consulting company, has won first place in the Best SME Report in the CRRA '12 Reporting Awards :)

This is what report viewers said about the Beyond Business report:

“They know their stuff. They know what they have achieved. Material aspects are included. It is an honest report. They tell what they haven't achieved (although the organization is small and hardly anybody would hold them accountable for any failures). The content makes the readers believe in the organization.”

NGO & Charity, Germany

“It is clear that a lot of effort went into producing this report alongside a heavy workload. The content and style is original and engaging.”

CSR Consultant, UK

“Corporate reports are mostly self-serving. But here comes a company that's started small but thinks big by sharing its ideas which could have been kept for private profit.”

Corporate CSR Professional, Philippines

There is also a really nice comment on the report page on the CorporporateRegister.com website, from "chenying":

"This is really the most interesting CSR report I have ever read up until now. I laughed while reading. It is full of jokes; it easily gets the message across and remains professional. It is such a pleasure to read it. The "Quick facts" is well done! The "Case Study" offers concrete examples. Though it looks quite lengthy but I didn´t feel it. It is very informative. If I were a potential client, you´ve won me!"

This captures the essence of what we were trying to do with this report - deliver a professional document while making it easy to read and a little fun. That's how sustainability should be!

The Beyond Business report also achieved fourth place in the Best First Time Report category and eighth place in the Creativity in Communications Category . We are proud to have delivered a winning report !! And this is the time to thank each and every one of the CRRA '12 voters who nudged our report into first place. Admittedly, this was the smallest category with only five reports in total, but overall, the category got more votes per report than any other category.

THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!

We believe that any business, no matter how small, can report and can gain benefit from reporting. We also believe that it is important for sustainability consultants to issue reports as a way of demonstrating our personal commitment to sustainability and showing clients that we know how to do it as least as well or better than other firms. "Practice what your preach" goes the old adage. We practice a lot and we preach a lot. And what's more, it's good for business.

Congrats also to the runners up in the SME category, Banarra from Australia and Guelph Hydro Inc from Canada, both of whom delivered great reports.

elaine cohen, CSR consultant, Sustainability Reporter, HR Professional, Ice Cream Addict. Author of CSR for HR: A necessary partnership for advancing responsible business practices . Contact me via www.twitter.com/elainecohen   on Twitter or via my business website www.b-yond.biz/en  (BeyondBusiness, an inspired CSR consulting and Sustainability Reporting firm)