Best or bust

The annual Best of North Idaho contest sponsored by North Idaho Business Journal accepts entries from the most qualified judges in the world.

Anyone who might scoff at the fact that any person can vote for any local business in any of more than 100 categories might want to consider what's behind a "people's choice" competition before opening the proverbial pie-hole.

Best of North Idaho does not recruit professional artists, for example, to judge Best Art Gallery. BONI would rather have customers of the region's art galleries say which they believe are best. These voters will take into account far more than even an artist's trained eye can capture; the votes from locals will reflect not just the quality of the art work, but over the past year or so, the gallery's customer service, community involvement and much more.

Popularity contest? You're darn right it is. Consider:

You're in the mood for Mexican food, and there are three Mexican restaurants within an easy drive. You've never tried any of them, so you hop in the car to drive past all three.

Two have empty parking lots. One - likely the one with a Best of North Idaho banner out front - has a busy lot. Which one are you going to try?

You're making a safe bet because you've learned that local people - your friends, neighbors and co-workers - frequent the places that have the best prices, the best service, the best products. A referral from one person carries some weight. A referral from many people, voting with their pocketbooks, is fairly irrefutable.

And that's what Best of North Idaho is. It's a contest that's also fun and entertaining, but it's the summary of an annual public opinion poll on who's doing the best job in a whole bunch of different categories. Last year, BONI received just over 20,000 votes, giving it some credibility. But the more the merrier - and the more valid.

So please, take a few minutes and go to nibusinessjournal.com and click on the Best of North Idaho ad. It will take you to your ballot. You must vote on at least 10 categories, and only one ballot from any computer, smart phone or tablet will be counted.

Scoff at the contest if you will, but others will be laughing at you. They'll be the businesses with a big banner out front and a packed parking lot.