More than 100 small businesses were honoured at the 2024 Australian Small Business Champion Awards that were held from 12-13 April 2024 at Sydney’s The Star Casino.
The awards have been celebrating the achievements and considerable economic, social and cultural contributions of the 2.5 million small-business leaders across the country. The Australian Small Business Champion Awards specifically highlight the finest small businesses in the retail, services, and manufacturing industries.
Among the winners in this year’s special awards categories, Dully Sayed, director of NSW-based male grooming and aesthetic procedures specialists BareWolf won Small Business Champion Entrepreneur; as did Leaky Roof Director Justin Vetsavong.
The Young Small Business Champion Entrepreneur awards were presented to Queensland’s Chloe Fischart who founded Sendable, a social enterprise third-party logistics provider, and to Amore Tattoo’s Sally Lee Tirrell.
Damian Borg, who founded Scrub by Damian in 2021 despite having autism and ADHD was awarded the 2024 Junior Small Business Champion Entrepreneur. Scrub by Damian is a NSW-based eco-friendly and preservative-free supplier of indulgent scrubs, bath salts, shower steamers, room sprays, loofah soaps and bath oils.
The Business Growth Award was won by window installation, repairs and restoration business Heritage Window Specialists and Nova Team Australia from NSW also won a Business Growth Award.
Business of the Decade was awarded to Next Level Elevators based in Victoria and to Family Dental Care, both also based in NSW.
For individual category award winners this year, Pinnacle People Solutions based in NSW won the 2024 Business Consultancy title for its quality HR services for regional businesses.
Success and Broker based in Queensland won the Business Coaching category and BNI Gold Coast Tweed Shire was declared winner of the Business Services category.
“This year’s Awards saw a record 5,500 small business submissions from cities as well as rural, regional and suburban towns in every Australian state and territory,” Steve Loe, Awards Founder and Managing Director of Precedent Productions, which coordinates the Australian Small Business Champion Awards, said. “This is more than we’ve ever seen since our launch year in 1999.
“This year’s submissions spoke volumes of the resilience of Australia’s small-business sector which is enduring what may be the toughest period in recent memory with a number of challenges associated with increased expenses and operating costs, staff hire, productivity and the overall ongoing high cost of living,” Loe added. “Now more than ever is the time to time to shine a spotlight on Australia’s hardworking small businesspeople and to recognise their invaluable contributions to their communities and to the nation as a whole.”
A recent survey commissioned by Precedent Productions found that 68 per cent of small-business owners believe that current government regulations hinder opportunities for small businesses rather than supporting it. The survey also found that 46 per cent of all Australian small-business owners consider their most significant competition to come from large or medium-sized businesses, with those based in NSW and Victoria the most pressed by large or medium competitors.
“Operating a small business today requires steadfast commitment, leadership, savviness, creativity, people skills, vision, social consciousness and a spirited drive – all elements of success that our independent judging panel pinpointed as among the key reasons for their selections of this year’s Champions,” Loe said. “I am blown away by the growth of this programme and its intensifying spotlight on the most deserving small business operators, who valiantly serve their communities and encourage us all to strive for success with ample drive, determination and fortitude.”
