Winners of the 2024 Australian Small Business Champion Awards have been crowned.
More than 100 small businesses were honoured over two nights – 12-13 April 2024 – at Sydney’s The Star, where the culmination of the Champion Awards’ most successful programme in more than a quarter of a century saw more than 2000 small businesspeople converge for the red-carpet two-night gala event.
The only recognition awards programme that celebrates the achievements and considerable economic, social and cultural contribution of today’s 2.5 million small business operators from right across the country, the Australian Small Business Champion Awards specifically highlight the finest small businesses in the retail, services, and manufacturing industries.
In this year’s special award categories…
Dully Sayed, Director of male grooming and aesthetic procedures specialists, BareWolf based in Belfield NSW, won Small Business Champion Entrepreneur; as did Leaky Roof Director Justin Vetsavong.
Young Small Business Champion Entrepreneur awards were presented to Queensland’s Chloe Fischart who founded Sendable – Australia’s first-ever social enterprise third-party logistics provider – and to Amore Tattoo’s Sally Lee Tirrell.
Damian Borg, who founded Scrub by Damian in 2021 when he was just 13 years-old and counts Autism and ADHD as his superpowers, was crowned 2024 Junior Small Business Champion Entrepreneur. Based in Mount Vernon, Scrub by Damian is an eco-friendly and preservative-free supplier of indulgent scrubs, bath salts, shower steamers, room sprays, loofah soaps and bath oils. Damian founded his small business after seeing the success of his younger sister’s small business.
The Business Growth Award was won by window installation, repairs and restoration business Heritage Window Specialists in Wetherill Park NSW; and Nova Team Australia from Beresfield 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 Campbelltown in NSW.
Among the individual category award winners this year…
Pinnacle People Solutions based in Armidale 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 Dream Admin Services 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. This is more than we’ve ever seen since our launch year in 1999,” said Steve Loe, Awards Founder and Managing Director of Precedent Productions, which coordinates the Australian Small Business Champion Awards.
“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.
“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,” added Mr Loe.
As revealed in a recent independent national survey commissioned by Precedent Productions, 68 per cent of small business owners today believe that current government regulations hinder opportunities for small business more than they support it.
The survey also revealed that almost half (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 (51 per cent).
“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,” said Mr Loe.
“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,” added Mr Loe.
Hosted by popular Nine presenter and journalist Jayne Azzopardi, this year’s National Presentation Gala featured star-studded entertainment fitting to the Champion Awards’ biggest year in more than a quarter of a century. Dami Im, Harrison Craig, Johnny Manuel and Stefanie Jones were among the red-carpet event’s headline stage acts.
The Awards were supported by Presenting Partner the Commonwealth Bank, and Major Partners Nine Ad Manager, NOVA Employment, Castaway Forecasting, Big Clean, Xcllusive Business Sales and Boa.
For more information – including a full list of 2024 Australian Small Business Champion Award winners – visit: businesschampions.com.au.
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