Yes! Yes of course you do! Our winners are not determined based on sheer size, their brand, or the years of history behind them.
They are assessed on their individual merit according to what each category and each question seeks to understand.
Size, structure and turnover are not necessarily indicators of a winning business. Robust business plans, clear strategies for success, a unique point of difference – every business should have these in place in order to experience sound financial performance, growth, and success in their respective industry.
Businesses that are performing well should also be looking at how they can support the community, and many of our 2016 winners were a standout when it comes to inclusiveness and being socially responsible.
A few success stories from 2016…
One of great success stories from the 2016 Awards was the win of HopDog BeerWorks in the Tourism & Hospitality category. HopDog is owned by Tim & Tess Thomas, a couple who have an infectious enthusiasm for craft beer.
Tourism and Hospitality is a huge industry for our region and we have some incredible businesses in this space.
Tim & Tess well and truly earned their title with their unique and innovative approach to marketing their business, their continued growth and their commitment to community.
They have exceptionally well thought out and engaging events and social media activity and they have evidence as to how they have made an impression on their industry.
They are both natural born storytellers and this enables them to stand out and be memorable.
Southern Cross Community Housing, the organisation behind the incredible Shark Tank initiative, was awarded Excellence in Innovation for the great work they have done in developing this innovative program, among others.
Innovation is a space in which any business of any size, in any industry, can succeed. It was brilliant to see it taken out by a not-for-profit that goes above and beyond their core business to help disadvantaged people in our community.
A few of our successful franchise businesses
Quest Nowra had only been open just over a year when they entered the 2016 Awards. Despite being in their infancy at the time of entry, James had led the Quest team to rank highly in performance across the national Quest network.
It was due to James’s extraordinary execution of the franchise model and initiatives he had implemented locally, including his inclusive practices and support of local charities, that Quest was awarded Outstanding New Business.
Hotondo South Coast was not always experiencing the success it is now. When Adam Sturt took over the business in 2013, the franchise was only building around 10 homes per year. Since that time, Adam has implemented changes that led to exponential growth, and he is now building around 50-60 homes a year.
Adam has further leveraged this success to do a significant amount of community engagement activity – something he is truly passionate about and which led him to win the Excellence in Social Responsibility Award.
G.J. Gardner Homes Shoalhaven may be part of a well known and respected national franchise, but it is undeniably the brilliant work of Nathan, Sean and their team that led them to winning Excellence in Production.
The management team at G.J. Shoalhaven has implemented a number of initiatives that have not only had positive outcomes locally, but they have been adopted by the G.J. franchise and rolled out nationally. To be a leading franchisee within such a large network is evident of the capability and strengths of G.J. Shoalhaven’s management team. G.J. Shoalhaven also supports a number of local charitable organisations.
Each of these three franchise businesses not only excel in the execution of their franchise model, which in itself has challenges, but they go well beyond the support provided by their franchisor. They implement local strategies that are directly attributable to their local team and that set their business apart from competitors and other local organisations.
Writing your entry
It was evident from their entries that each of these winners put a significant amount of time and effort into their submission. It takes time, planning and considered thought to create a standout entry.
Rushing an entry at the last minute, not involving your team, and not utilising the tools and support offered by the Chamber are all reasons why an entry won’t stand out. Businesses that continue to perform well in the Awards understand the importance of the process, and truly put 100% effort into their submission.
You can do this
There is still time to create a great entry. The Chamber provides a huge suite of tools to help you craft a standout entry.
Listen to our TAFE NSW sponsored Awards Insider podcast to get tips and insights from past winners, judges and professionals who support business and awards.
Attend our UOW Shoalhaven sponsored Awards Entry Workshop on Wednesday 14th June.
Visit our week by week plan to discover the steps involved from beginning to end,
Download our comprehensive Award Entry Information Pack, which covers the benefits of entering, how to enter, information on judging and all the questions across every category.
Stay up to date with additional news, hints and tips with our Facebook page and Awards Latest News.
And of course, if the Chamber can be of further assistance, please contact me (Miranda Packer, Awards Manager) at awards@shoalhavenbusiness.com.au or Lucy O’Donnell, Membership Liaison Officer on admin@shoalhavenbusiness.com.au
Convinced now that you need to enter? Brilliant!
Enter here.
And good luck!