I Found A Winning Entry. Can I Close My Contest Early?

Hatchwise contests normally run for 10 days (with the exception of a Rush contest, which runs for 48 hours). 

While most people choose to wait until the contest submission period is over to award their contest winner, sometimes you might see an entry that you love within the first few days of the contest starting. 

What happens in that case? Do you need to wait for the submission period to end before awarding the contest winner? Or can you award the contest winner as soon as you find a winning entry? 

At any time while your contest is active you can award a contest winner and that will end your contest. However, there are a few things to remember before you do so. 

Two things to remember before awarding a contest winner

1. Make sure that you request that any revisions or changes are made prior to awarding the contest winner. The only exception is if you need a minor change made to the font or color (this can be done before the creative uploads the final files). You can read more about that here. 

1. You miss out on seeing other entries. While your contest is active you will continue to see entries submitted. Awarding the contest winner ends the contest and no more entries can be submitted. If you are considering purchasing an Additional Design you may wish to let the contest run its full length to see the maximum number of entries submitted. 

However, if you want to ensure that you get the entry that you love (once the submission period is over the creatives can Withdraw their submissions from the contest), or have a deadline to meet, then you can award the contest winner at any time and end your contest. 

The goal is to find a winning submission that fits your business and your brand, and if you have found that then there is no need to wait to award it the contest winner! 

As always, if you have questions, concerns, or just want to know more about the Hatchwise process please feel free to contact support@hatchwise at any time!