How iTrustLocal Qualifies Businesses
At Top Choice Awards, businesses are evaluated through a comprehensive qualification process designed to identify organizations that consistently demonstrate excellence in customer satisfaction, professionalism, reputation, and community involvement.
Minimum Eligibility Requirement
Minimum Two Years in Business
A business must have been operating for at least two years before it is eligible to be evaluated. This ensures businesses have an established operating history and sufficient public presence to allow for a fair assessment.
Qualification Criteria
Each qualification criterion below carries a weighted value within our proprietary evaluation system; points are rewarded for the following:
Customer Satisfaction & Review Volume
Businesses with consistently high customer ratings across major review platforms demonstrate a strong commitment to delivering exceptional products and services. A substantial number of genuine customer reviews helps verify a business's reputation and provides greater confidence in its overall customer experience. Points are awarded when a business has a minimum of 25 online reviews with an overall rating of 4.2 stars or higher.
Business Experience
Businesses that have successfully operated for three or more years demonstrate stability, reliability, and long-term commitment to their customers.
Industry Recognition
Recognition through previous awards, certifications, or professional accolades reflects excellence acknowledged by respected organizations or industry peers.
Professional Website
A well-designed, functional, and up-to-date website demonstrates professionalism and makes it easy for customers to access information about the business.
Community Support
Businesses that receive a strong number of public nominations have demonstrated recognition and support from members of their local community.
Social Media Reach
An established social media presence with an engaged audience reflects customer interest and ongoing interaction with the business.
Consistent Online Activity
Regular social media activity demonstrates that a business remains active, responsive, and engaged with its customers throughout the year.
Location Presentation
Where applicable, the cleanliness, organization, maintenance, and overall presentation of a business's physical location are considered as part of the evaluation. A welcoming and professional environment reflects a business's commitment to quality and customer experience.
Community Involvement
Businesses that contribute to their communities through charitable initiatives, sponsorships, fundraising efforts, or local events demonstrate a commitment beyond their day-to-day operations.
Team Size
A larger team can indicate an established operation with the capacity to consistently serve customers while supporting continued business growth.
How Businesses Qualify
Each qualification criterion carries a weighted value within our proprietary evaluation system. Once all applicable criteria have been assessed, the business receives an overall qualification score.
To qualify, a business must achieve a minimum score of 40 out of 50 points.
Because every industry is different, certain criteria may not apply to every business. For example, an independent real estate agent may not be evaluated based on employee count, while a retail business would be. In these cases, the non-applicable criterion is removed from the evaluation, and all businesses within that same category are assessed using the same adjusted scoring model.
This approach ensures that every business is evaluated fairly and consistently based on the factors that are relevant to its industry, while maintaining the high standards expected of Top Choice Awards qualifiers.