A digital agency that started as a one-man band in a city basement and now counts some of Australia’s biggest corporations as clients has taken top honours at the prestigious 2016 Sydney City Business awards.
Sitback Solutions won three awards at the gala event at Sydney Town Hall last night, Thursday 21 July. The website and UX developers received the Employer of Choice, Excellence in Business and overall Regional Business of the Year awards at the ceremony hosted by the City of Sydney.
The Rocks-based company, which now employs 37 fulltime staff, joined an impressive line-up of nine Sydney businesses whose achievements were celebrated at the awards ceremony.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the quality of entrants and winners in the city regional awards of the NSW Business Chamber Business Awards reflected the high calibre of businesses operating in the local Sydney area.
“There are thousands of amazing businesses in our city and these awards are a great opportunity for us to recognise some of the most innovative business and showcase their achievements,” the Lord Mayor said.
“Small to medium-sized businesses are at the heart of the city’s economy, representing 85 per cent of our businesses and contributing an estimated $20 billion to the local economy.
“I congratulate all the award finalists who come from a diverse range of industries. These awards are a wonderful opportunity to support local businesses, and help them gain greater exposure to strengthen and grow their businesses.”
The City has been supporting businesses through awards programs since 2004. The Sydney city region was launched in 2015 as part of the NSW Business Chamber Business Awards. Supported by the City, the awards recognise business excellence across all areas, including innovation, leadership, sustainability, export and ethics.
NSW Business Chamber Chief Executive, Stephen Cartwright, said the awards were a great opportunity for local businesses to further grow their brands.
“As you would expect from a competitive marketplace like central Sydney, the quality of finalists was incredibly high and I’m confident the Sydney City region will be impressive finalists at the state-wide awards in Sydney later this year,” Mr Cartwright said.
A record 40 businesses were shortlisted for awards across 12 categories in the 2016 Sydney City Regional Business Awards.
Chris McHugh, CEO of Sitback Solutions, said the award-winning business was especially thrilled to be named Employer of Choice.
“Being a good place to work means we are able to attract and maintain the best staff, and in turn offer the best quality service and experience for our clients. We consider this crucial to maintaining great client relationships in the fast-paced tech environment,” said Mr McHugh.
The City of Sydney sponsors the Excellence in Small Business award, which this year was taken out by Ivory Coat Companion. The Alexandria-based company offering locally-produced gourmet dog treats and grooming products has been a runaway success since launching three years ago.
All the Sydney City award winners will go on to compete in the state-wide finals of the NSW Business Chamber Awards in November.
The 2016 winners are:
Excellence in Small Business – Ivory Coat Companion, Alexandria
Excellence in Business – Sitback Solutions, Sydney
Young Business Executive – Imogen Hayes, DMG Fine Wines, Sydney
Young Entrepreneur – Johnny Wong, THINK CHINA, Sydney
Business Leader – Aleisha Claire Davis, Shepherd Centre, Newtown
Employer of Choice – Sitback Solutions, Sydney
Excellence in Business Ethics – Wealth Efficiency, Sydney
Excellence in Innovation – Mobiddiction, Sydney
Excellence in Sustainability – The Flagstaff Group, Waterloo
Excellence in Export – THINK CHINA, Sydney
Local Chamber of Commerce – South Sydney Business Chamber, Redfern
Regional Business of the Year – Sitback Solutions
For media inquiries or images, contact City of Sydney Senior Media Adviser Belinda Wallis on 0467 810 160 or email bwallis@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au
For interviews with Lord Mayor Clover Moore, contact Paul Mackay on 0432 182 647 or email pmackay@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au