Australian Small Business Champion Awards
The Australian Small Business Champion Awards is a prestigious and comprehensive awards program that supports and recognises small businesses across Australia.
Offering a unique opportunity to highlight Australia’s most outstanding small businesses, the awards seek to recognise the hard work that business owners contribute to the local community in generating employment for millions of Australians, as well as their contribution to the Australian economy.
The awards are the pinnacle of business success. They recognise the values associated with successful businesses.
What’s involved?
To enter, applicants will need to submit a written submission usually comprised of long-form responses to up to ten questions. There is no word count limits. Responses do not need to be lengthy but should be clear and precise and should include supporting material. Applicants must also include up to five supporting documents such as photographs, newspaper articles, testimonials and promotional material.
Categories
| Accounting Services | Accounting firms, bookkeepers, taxation agents. |
| Agricultural Services | Farmers, packaging of primary products, support services, farming equipment. |
| Automotive Services | Mechanics, service centres, panel beaters, petrol stations, tyre fitters, car sales, car detailing, auto electrical, automotive accessories. |
| Bakery/Cake Store | Cake shops, patisseries, bakery shop, wedding cakes, wholesale and retail. |
| Beauty Services | Beauty salon, nail/eyelash bars, day spa, laser/cosmetic, spray tans. |
| Business Services | Business to business services, graphic design, sign writers, printers, business coaching, marketing, publishing, office fitouts. |
| Butcher | Butcher wholesale and retail |
| Cafe | Café, coffee shop, coffee bar, casual dining. |
| Children Educational Services | School readiness, educational programs, tutoring, workshops. |
| Children’s Services | Children’s entertainment, children’s health and sporting. |
| Dental Services | Dentists, orthodontists, cosmetic dentistry. |
| Early Childhood Services | Daycare, long daycare, pre school, early childhood education and learning, OOSH, family daycare. |
| Educational Services | Tutoring, life coaching, industry training, private institutes, first aid training, workplace learning and development, trade education, driving schools. |
| Electrical Services | Electricians residential and commercial |
| Fashion | Men’s fashion, women’s fashion, children’s fashion, fashion designers, formal wear, dress hire, boutiques, stylists. |
| Fast Food/Takeaway Store | Hamburger shops, fish & chips, takeaway franchises, sandwich shops, kebab shops, pizza takeaway. |
| Financial Services | Mortgage broker, lending services |
| Fitness Services | Gyms, personal trainers, outdoor fitness, health and wellbeing, fitness coach/mentoring. |
| Florist | Flower shops, flower deliveries, wholesale and retail. |
| Fresh Food | Fruit & vegetable shops, butchers, seafood outlets, deli. |
| Hairdressing | Hairdressers, barbers, stylists, hair bars, mobile hairdressers. |
| Health Improvement Services | Massage therapists, chiropractors, optometrists, occupational therapy, psychology, accupuncture, speech therapy. |
| Home Builder / Renovations | Builder, granny flats, building renovations / additions. |
| Home & Garden Improvement | Garden centres, gardeners, garden design, landscapers, furniture shops, furniture design, home interior designer, builders/renovator. |
| Information Technology | Hardware supply and support, communications, SEO, software development, web/digital design. |
| Jewellery Store | Jewellers, diamond traders, jewellery design. |
| Legal Services | Conveyancers, lawyers, intellectual property, solicitors and barristers, legal services. |
| Manufacturing | Raw materials are transformed into finished goods – including food, beauty, building products, accessories. |
| Marketing Services | Marketing, digital marketing, public relations, branding, social media, graphic design, advertising services, photography, direct mail, corporate video production. |
| New Business | Businesses in the New Business category must be in operation for less than 2 years at the time of Awards closing date. |
| Performing Arts | Dance studio, music schools, acting. |
| Pet Services | Vets, pet minding, pet walking, pet grooming, animal training, pet accessories, pet cremation. |
| Pharmacy | Chemist shops, compounding chemists. |
| Plumbing Services | Plumbers residential and commercial |
| Professional Medical Services | Doctors surgery, nursing services, fertility/maternity, medical specialist. |
| Professional Services | Architects, ISO certification, research, financial services. |
| Real Estate Agency | Real estate agents. |
| Recruitment Services | Recruitment agencies, work placement. |
| Restaurant | Fine dining, casual and family restaurants. |
| Services | Transport and haulage, excavation, cleaning companies, pest control, sanitation, home services, removalists, pool services. |
| Sole Trader | Any business that is owned and operated by a single person. |
| Specialised Retail Small Business | Any retail business that operates as a shop front offering products. |
| Specialised Small Business | Any business that specialises in industry services. |
| Sports and Recreation Retail | Sports, camping, recreation stores. |
| Tourism | Hotels, accommodation, tour operators, bed and breakfast, souvenir shops, travel agents. |
| Trade Services | Painters, tilers, renderers, building services, carpenters, cabinet makers, waterproofing, arborists. |
| Transport & Logistics | Transport Companies, Warehousing and Distribution, Shipping Management, Freight Forwarding |
| Wedding Services | Bridal wear, dress design, wedding planners, wedding mc, venues, wedding car hire. |
Deadline
Entries usually open in November and close in February of the following year. (N.B: The timing has varied in 2020-2022 due to COVID-19. In 2022 the awards are expected to open in March)
Amplify your chance of success!
Need help with your award submission? Why not work with Australia’s leading awards writers, Green Door Co. Eight out of ten will be shortlisted and over half of those will go on to win.
Need help entering awards? Contact us. Want to find out which other awards you can enter this or next year? Check out our list of business awards.