Sydney companies seeking to bolster their brand and forge new business opportunities are encouraged to enter this year’s NSW Business Chamber Business Awards that are designed to drive future success.
Entries for the Sydney City Region of the prestigious awards program are now open. City centre-based business can showcase their achievements through the newly launched Sydney CBD Business Chamber.
The new Sydney CBD Business Chamber will join Glebe, Walsh Bay, Pyrmont-Ultimo, Chippendale, Darlinghurst, Newtown, Potts Point, Surry Hills, South Sydney and Paddington chambers, that are all operating in the City’s local area as part of the NSW Business Chamber’s Local Chamber Alliance Program.
“Small and medium sized businesses are the engine room of our city, representing 85 per cent of our businesses and contributing an estimated $20 billion to the local economy,” the Lord Mayor said.
“The last census showed 40 per cent of all job growth in metropolitan Sydney took place in the City’s local government area. We want to create an environment where business can flourish and these awards showcase what our businesses are doing well and puts them on a bigger stage.
“The City has been supporting local business awards since 2004. As Sydney undergoes one of the biggest transformations in its history, with the building of a new light rail network and the pedestrianisation of George Street, the creation of a new CBD business chamber will help create new opportunities for businesses.”
NSW Business Chamber Chief Executive Stephen Cartwright said the new Sydney CBD Chamber will draw on the expertise of the state’s peak business organisation to meet the needs of city-based businesses.
“The Sydney CBD Chamber of Commerce has been created to provide city-based businesses with the tailored support and resources they need to maximise their potential. This is a new platform that will give businesses a voice, provide valuable networking opportunities and help members to run and grow their business,” Mr Cartwright said.
City-based IT and digital recruitment company, FIRESOFT Consulting, were winners of the 2015 Excellence in Small Business Award. Company co-founders Danny Normington and Erin Evans are encouraging other businesses to get involved.
“For us, the award entry was a great way to put ourselves on the map as a reputable and respected company. There were some amazing small businesses in our category. We were incredibly humbled to win the City of Sydney-sponsored business award,” Ms Evans said.
There are 10 categories in the 2016 Sydney City regional awards:
- Excellence in Innovation – for businesses that have made significant contributions to their industry through the introduction or improvement of an idea, method, technology, process or application;
- Excellence in Sustainability – for businesses working to reduce the impact of their operations on the environment or provide products and services that have positive environmental outcomes;
- Employer of Choice –for businesses that have put in place strategies and initiatives to create stimulating and supportive workplace environments for their employees;
- Excellence in Business Ethics – for outstanding business people who have achieved business success while acting in an ethically responsible way;
- Excellence in Small Business – for businesses with less than 20 employees that have attained significant and sustainable growth in the 2014/15 financial year;
- Exellence in Business - recognises a business with more than 20 full time employees that has attained significant growth and is able to demonstrate strategies that achieved profitable and sustainable growth;
- Young Entrepreneur – for inspirational young business people who have built a successful business through their own commitment and passion;
- Young Business Executive – for young business people who have achieved outstanding results in a business environment;
- Business Leaders Award – for business people and professionals who have provided inspiration to a new generation of upcoming business leaders; and
- Excellence in Export – for businesses that are forging a strong reputation for Australian products and services in international markets.
Local Chamber of Commerce - recognising the achievements of a Local Chamber in supporting their members to maximise their business potential; and
- 2016 Business of the Year – this award takes into account all other categories and is awarded to a company considered an ‘all-rounder’, with superior performance in all aspects.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the City was pleased to again be sponsoring the Excellence in Small Business category, supporting businesses across NSW.
For more information on the NSW Business Chamber Business Awards, visit cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/business/business-support/programs-and-seminars/business-awards
For media inquiries or images, contact City of Sydney Senior Media Advisor Belinda Wallis on 8974 4153, 0467 810 160 or bwallis@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au
For interviews with Lord Mayor Clover Moore, contact Paul Mackay on 9265 9612, 0432 182 647 or pmackay @cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au
Pic Captions: City Lord Mayor Clover Moore with 2015 Excellence in Small Business winners FIRESOFT Consulting at launch of the 2016 NSW Business Chamber Business Awards, Sydney City Region
Lord Mayor Clover Moore with Peter May, Executive Officer, CBD Sydney Chamber of Commerce and Patricia Forsythe, Executive Director of the Sydney Business Chamber
FIRESOFT Consulting 2015 Excellence in Small Business Award winner co-founder, Erin Evans