Out of thousands of entries from across the nation, more than 15 businesses from the Hunter region have been named finalists in the 2024 Australian Women’s Small Business Champion Awards, an event recognising women in small business.
The national awards programme shines a spotlight on the rising economic, cultural and social contributions of female-led small businesses – spanning all capital cities as well as rural, regional and suburban towns – the Australian Women’s Small Business Champion Awards is judged according to stringent criteria by an independent expert panel.
Now in its third consecutive year, the 2024 Australian Women’s Small Business Champion Awards features more than 60 categories across retail, services and manufacturing industries, as well as individual categories in celebration of the year’s most inspiring female small business trailblazers.
“We’re in the midst of an age of female entrepreneurial empowerment,” said Steve Loe, Awards Founder and Managing Director of Precedent Productions, which coordinates the Australian Women’s Small Business Champion Awards.
“Despite the current high cost of living and myriad challenges associated with small business ownership at present, Australian women – absolutely including businesswomen from the Hunter – are simply powering through and showing incredible resilience and drive across all industries of the small business sector,” Steve said.
“We received a high volume of high-quality submissions and so, the shortlisting of this year’s finalists was quite the challenge for our judges. When the Champion Judges evaluate entries, they consider all aspects of a business: its strategies, growth, eco-friendliness, innovation, customer service and community support – to name but some of the criteria. The next rounds of judging will be intense as we continue to evaluate the achievements of this year’s finalists to reach just winner per category,” Steve said.
The Hunter Valley-based finalists include:
- Valorium Advisors – Lake Macquarie (accounting services)
- Martha Travis People Innovators -Tanilba Bay (business services)
- Havarni & Me – Creative Floristry – Aberglasslyn (specialised retail small business)
- Evolution Laser Clinic – Salamander Bay (beauty services and young small business champion woman entrepreneur)
- Valley Estate Agents – Maitland (real estate)
- Sage Blossoming Floral & Event Studio – Pokolbin (wedding services)
- Bourkelex Electrical – Gillieston Heights (trade services)
- PLH Accountants – East Maitland (accounting)
- Space of Beauty – East Maitland (brows and lashes)
- 24/7 Family Day Care – East Maitland (early childhood services)
- Green Ink Design Studio – East Maitland (professional services)
- New England Times – East Maitland (social enterprise business)
- Enagic – Raymond Terrace (health improvement services)
- Earth & Elm Studio and Wellness Services – Dungog (services)
- Flowers by Grace – Bellbird (florist)
- Jims dog wash and groom Aberdare – Bellbird (pet services)
“Being selected as a finalist of this prestigious event – from a national entrant pool of thousands – is no easy feat and speaks volumes of the tenacity and leadership at each of these female-led small businesses. It’s truly a privilege to help spotlight the successes of these small businesswomen from the Hunter and I wish them the very best of luck on Awards night,” Steve said.
Winners of the 2024 Australian Women’s Small Business Champion Awards will be announced towards the end of August at Sydney’s The Star.
IMAGE | Last year’s winners
