Supreme Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards

Supreme Vero Excellence in Business Support Award goes to MYOB

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Matt Lynch, Managing Director MYOB, accepts the Supreme Award at the Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards

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Re: Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards

Supreme Vero Excellence in Business Support Award goes to MYOB

Supporting business has become big business for many companies and it’s paid off for MYOB New Zealand Limited (MYOB), the supreme winner of the 2008 Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards. MYOB was a finalist in the Large Business over $10m turnover category.

MYOB is the country’s leading provider of business management software, services and support, designed specifically for New Zealand businesses. MYOB’s approach is to work with businesses across New Zealand, in partnership with a nationwide network of partners, advisors and business experts.

Although well known for its innovative business products, MYOB has also focused on providing a total network of support for New Zealand business owners, with the introduction of comprehensive MYOB businesSUPPORT, as well as training programmes, employer services, and wide-ranging education initiatives for the small business sector said Matt Lynch, Managing Director MYOB NZ Ltd.

“New Zealand businesses need comprehensive support – delivered how and when they need it. They need regular help in dealing with the changing economic environment,“ he said. “They need tailored solutions that work for their business. And they need inspiration.”

Now in their fourth year, the Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards are designed to recognise organisations and individuals that provide quality support to businesses. More than 100 organisations and individuals entered the 2008 awards with 43 finalists selected in 11 categories by The New Zealand Business Excellence Foundation which provided an independent and robust evaluation process for the awards.

Founded by small business sector specialist, Sarah Trotman, and sponsored by Vero, National Business Review and BDO Spicers, the Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards are a key event of the Small Business Expo – New Zealand’s largest event for business - and were announced at a Black Tie Gala Dinner held on 17 April in Auckland.

Inspiring organisations to provide better business support was the main reason Sarah Trotman set up the Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards. “Evaluators this year were looking for companies with a track record in making New Zealand business owners more successful,” she said.

At the awards’ function the Pounamu Group and singer Timua Bryan paid tribute to the late Sir James Fletcher, a previous Individual award winner for his great contribution to business support in New Zealand.

The Minister for Small Business Hon Clayton Cosgrove congratulated the winners, praising them for their innovation and drive in continuing to set new benchmarks for others to aspire to.

“These awards help to unlock that potential through the sharing of information, the celebration of business excellence and through allowing experienced operators to take on a valuable mentor role for smaller companies,” he said. “The importance of the small business sector to the New Zealand economy cannot be understated. As global competition and technology changes intensify, small firms matter more. They have the flexibility to move faster, they are innovative, and are generally closer to their customers.”

“It is fantastic to see such a wide range of businesses entering the awards and providing business support in so many innovative ways to SME’s across New Zealand,” Roger Bell, Chief Executive of Vero Insurance, the Foundation Sponsor of the awards, said. “This support has helped many companies become more competitive and sustainable.”

“The Vero Excellence in Business Support Award winners demonstrate quality across a range of business areas. The awards recognise the growing number of entrants who not only demonstrate international levels of best practice in their businesses but quality support as a key ‘point of difference’.

“We congratulate all the winners and particularly the overall winner MYOB, an organisation that has made business support an integral part of its business offering, and a great supporter of the awards and the Small Business Expo.”

BDO Spicers National Chair Judith Stanway says they were absolutely delighted with the quality of the winners of this year’s Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards. “Having worked with many of the winners we have first hand knowledge of the high standard of their products and services and are confident that they truly represent the wonderful depth of talent in the New Zealand business support sector.

“We know how hard it is to take the time to work ’on’ your business and not always just ’in’ it and we applaud these organisations for taking the time to step up to the challenge of entering the Awards. It will have long-term, sustainable benefit to their businesses.”

Winners this year came from far and wide throughout New Zealand and included Hawkes Bay-based NZ Business Forums, the AUT Business School from Auckland and in the Local Government Body sector Hutt City Council. From the South Island, Upstart, Dunedin's business incubator, was winner of the High Growth Sector category of the awards. A not-for-profit organisation, it provides focused support to accelerate the development of high-growth companies that have the potential to grow quickly. Upstart’s initial founders were the Dunedin City Council, University of Otago, Otago Polytechnic and New Zealand Trade & Enterprise – the 2008 winner of the Government Department award category.

In the Not for Profit category EEO Trust took the award against serious competition from Economic Development Group (Hamilton) and NZ Centre for SME Research.

“We see entering the awards as part of a journey,” CEO, EEO Trust Phillippa Read said. “A few years ago at the Trust we repositioned the organisation and went through a rebranding process and that was the start of a journey for us. Now it’s about refreshing what we are doing and making sure we do the very best we can. The awards’ process gives us a framework to follow, guidance and some focus around that process of looking at how we operate and how we can operate better.”

Award winners in the other business categories were The Results Group, Xero and Kinetic 121 while in the Public Private sector partnership Auckland Plus was highly commended.
Xero is an online accounting system designed for small businesses and their customers’ endorsements helped them win the Business under $5m turnover One to Many category.

Winner of the Individual category award Warwick Grey, SMB Marketing Manager, Hewlett-Packard, was also boosted by support from his customers. “Being nominated for an award is a great thrill as you don’t often get to talk to the people you are helping about what their outcomes have been or about the support you have given them,” he said. “The awards’ process required me to talk to the people I felt we had supported and the feedback I received was just an incredible surprise and a great thrill.”

“These awards help organisations to benchmark and give them a mark of quality that adds value to their business,” Sarah Trotman says. “I applaud all of the winners because their business support really is making a positive and real difference to the SME sector.”

www.myob.com

2008 Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards winners
Embargoed until 17 April 2008 at 10.30 pm

Supreme winner
MYOB NZ Ltd

Category winners

Business under $5M t/o One on one offering
The Results Group

Business under $5M t/o One to many
Xero

Business $5-10M t/o
Kinetic 121

Large Business over $10M t/o
MYOB

Not for Profit
EEO Trust

Local Government Body
Hutt City Council

Government Department
NZ Trade and Enterprise

Education Provider
AUT Business School

Individual
Warwick Grey- HP

Public Private sector partnership
NZ Business Forums

High Growth Sector
Upstart

ENDS

More information:
For information on winners and photos please see www.excellenceinbusinesssupport.co.nz

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