Heroes in small business battle it out for top spot

Media release from Home Business New Zealand

Heroes in small business battle it out for top spot

The finalists in The David Awards 2013: heroes in small business have been named.

The David Awards, now in their sixth year, recognise the unsung heroes in home and small businesses throughout New Zealand – the Kiwi Davids taking on the Goliaths of the New Zealand business landscape.

Organizer of the Awards, Heather Douglas, says, “There are many business awards which recognise businesses which have a significant number of staff, which are exporting, which show enormous year-on-year growth or which work within specific industries. The intention of The David Awards is to recognise ordinary, small, home or micro businesses, which often fly beneath the national radar but are doing extraordinary things.

These are the grassroots businesses which form the basis of our economy. This is where better-known brands and export businesses are spawned, These are the businesses which contribute to their communities and help make New Zealand what it is. Yet, they are often overlooked and ignored. The David Awards: heroes in small business aims to recognise our entrepreneurial Davids for what they are – the real heroes in small business in this country.”

Judges Glenn Smith, Glenn Baker, Pam Martin, Sandra Crosby and Brian Meredith were impressed with the number and variety of businesses entering the awards, and were delighted to see many new entries as well as repeat entries from previous entrants, some of which which showed significant growth and development from last year.

The David Awards finalists for 2013 are:

The Most outstanding fledgling business
A start-up business which is under two years young, smart, quirky, or just very professionally set up.
• Heart Saver NZ Limited
• Kainic Medical Communications Limited
• Leatherwise

Most outstanding transitional business

A promising business which has moved beyond the start-up phase and is two or more years old, which has a proven track record and some or all of the plans/people/systems/processes in place to make a well-above-average future a reality. This Award seeks to recognise a business planning for and/or coping with the changes required to take a business through expansion and significant growth, and which has demonstrated financial success.
• Intern NZ
• Nourish Magazine
• Pure SEO Limited

Most outstanding triumph over adversity

A business which has succeeded in spite of challenges beyond the usual. This may be due to due to personal issues the owner has had to deal with, circumstances beyond their control, or unexpected setbacks.
• Kruizey Kidz Ltd
• Leatherwise
• Pure SEO Limited

Most outstanding lifestyle business

A business which epitomises the ability to integrate business and lifestyle, with the owner(s) to take advantage of its flexibility to fit income generation around spending time on family or leisure activities or other pursuits. While lifestyle is an important judging criterion, this business must still demonstrate its economic viability.
• Accplus Ltd
• Agricultural Recruitment NZ Ltd
• Nourish Magazine

The NZBusiness Most innovative business

This is a business which demonstrates a new or clever way of going about things, or which is conceptually innovative. A new product or service developed by the business owner may be the prime focus of an entry in this category.
• Accplus Ltd
• Tyre Depot Limited

Most inspired use of technology

A business which leverages technology in many guises to enhance efficiency, mobility and keep overheads to a minimum. In this category, judges are not necessarily looking for a business whose core business is technical (though it may be), but one where the owner makes good use of technology to gain efficiencies, for instance through time- or cost-saving, or by delivering a service remotely using technology. It may also apply to a business which develops its own technology to deliver a core product or service to clients.
• Accplus Ltd
• Outbox Ltd

The BNI Most inspired use of marketing

A business which punches above its weight in terms of getting the word out, achieving profile and attracting business. Typically, this Award recognises a business which knows how to find potential customers, uses a variety of media effectively and which understands how to communicate with them and get them to take the next step towards a purchase.
• Bio Brew
• Leatherwise
• TIME Unlimited

The Bizbuzz Most community-minded business

A business which gives back to its community, e.g. local, regional or industry sector, in ways, shapes or forms which benefit the community significantly. This Award is intended to highlight a business where the community involvement is not what the business is about, but part of how it goes about doing whatever its core business is. Businesses whose main objective is to benefit the community should consider entering other categories, and if they enter this one, will need to clarify what part of what they do is not their core business in order to meet the criteria for this Award.
• Agricultural Recruitment NZ Ltd
• Nourish Magazine
• Pure SEO Limited

The People's Choice Award

Voting is closed.
Winners and the Supreme Award winner will be announced on www.thedavidawards.co.nz on 9 October at 11 a.m. via webcast.

ENDS

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