2021 Australian Small Business Champion Awards: Central Coast finalists named
From doughnuts to real estate, artwork to signage, 18 Central Coast small businesses have been announced as 2021 Australian Small Business Champion Awards finalists.
Central Coast
Don't miss out on the headlines from Central Coast. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Small business is showing its strength and resilience across the Central Coast.
Eighteen coast businesses have been named as finalists in the 2021 Australian Small Business Champion Awards.
This is the largest awards program for small business in Australia with 49 industry categories.
KAB Gallery director and curator Kerry-Anne Blanket, who opened galleries in Terrigal and Pymble, is a finalist in the specialised retail small business category.
“It’s fantastic validation for all the hard work we have put into building the business over the years,” Ms Blanket told the Express.
“KAB Gallery was a complete start-up business and a brand developed from scratch in 2013. It has grown to operate two bricks-and-mortar spaces as well as selling internationally online.”
Ms Blanket said KAB opened its first gallery space in Terrigal under the Crowne Plaza.
“For me, it was a great time to open business in the art industry as there was so much change happening within it,” she said.
“I could see a clear gap in the market for good Australian art and after working in the art industry for so many years I knew exactly what my points of differences would be.
“I sought to make great art accessible both locally in the physical gallery as well as online and to provide excellent customer service to new and old collectors.”
She said she had a targeted digital marketing plan with a website that provides potential buyers with all the information they need from artists’ backgrounds and their works to how to order online, shipping requirements and currency conversions.
“I have always kept an open-minded approach to the artworks exhibited as well as the business processes, and are regularly complemented on these attributes by clients,” she said.
“I think this flexibility has greatly contributed to the success of KAB Gallery. My education, industry experience and commitment to customer service excellence are also built into the core of it. I have a great team with me at the gallery who really understand the importance of all these attributes.”
Signarama Tuggerah has been announced as a finalist in the business services category.
Director Melissa Marshall, who bought the company two and a half years ago with her husband Gary, said they were thrilled with the nomination. The pair were previously Caltex
franchisees.
“We came into the printing industry with fresh eyes and ideas,” Mrs Marshall said.
She said the company had teamed up with Hewlett-Packard (HP) as they not only “offer the best” but are also environmentally conscious. She said the company sources products that are safe for the environment while also supporting other businesses at a local level.
“In the world of plastic, you have to be as environmentally conscious as you can,” she said.
“We are trying to do things differently in this space and we got recognised quite quickly for this.”
Mrs Marshall said Signarama Tuggerah has invested in a new printer which not only prints white but has the highest eco rating in the world and used ocean bound plastics.
“Moving forward this is going to be a big thing in this space and nobody is really doing it,” she said. “We just decided to be the first to get it.”
She said the company also employed locals and offered an apprenticeship program. When it comes to customer service they aim to be the most trusted and always do the right thing by people.
Wiseberry Heritage Real Estate is a finalist in the real estate agency category and principal Darin Butcher said they were “absolutely delighted”.
“To be a finalist in a national award is unbelievable,” he said.
Wiseberry Heritage Real Estate first opened in Gorokan in 1994 and has grown to 48 staff with a number of offices in NSW including two in Gorokan and one in Charmhaven.
“It started with myself and my dad and then mum came on board,” Mr Butcher said.
“We have a diverse team that continues to grow. We are hoping to expand again next year.”
Mr Butcher said he believed in hiring people that love people and have a good work ethic.
He said Wiseberry was also engrained in its local communities, having raised more than $1.1m for local charities over the years while also supporting local surf clubs and sporting organisations.
He said the coast market continued to soar with many Sydneysiders keen to relocate for the tree change, sea change or lake change.
Meanwhile the Central Coast’s Daily Dough Co is a finalist in two categories including new business and young small business champion entrepreneur.
Owner Emma Peat is an inspiring young entrepreneur having started the business at the age of 19 after she lost four jobs during the height of the Covid pandemic.
Ms Peat started baking cakes at her home in Tumbi Umbi before moving onto doughnuts which received a great response from family and friends.
She soon launched Daily Dough Co which now has two Central Coast stores and sells around 2000 doughnuts a day.
“On the first day I started selling the doughnuts from home, I sold 18 doughnuts,” she said. “It kept building up over the next few months and when I was selling 300 a day, mum and dad’s home kitchen was getting too small.”
Ms Peat has stores at the Wyong Milk Factory in Wyong and along Terrigal Esplanade and employs around 40 staff members.
She said her doughnuts are made fresh each day with love.
“We also make dessert boxes, doughnut bouquets. We literally can make anything out of a doughnut. And we have such a passion for fresh doughnuts,” she said.
“We never keep them overnight. But we don’t waste anything, if we have any leftover we give them away.”
She said during her journey she has learnt to trust herself and her “amazing team”.
Precedent Productions’ Steve Loe established the Awards in 1999 to publicly celebrate the achievements of small business people.
“There are many small business owners who will never be millionaires, but whose contribution to their communities is invaluable,” he said.
“Creating the Australian Small Business Awards seemed like an ideal way to honour
the contribution that small business people make to our community”.
The Awards will be held on October 30 at The Star, Sydney.
Central Coast finalists
Business Services - Signarama Tuggerah
Butcher - Gwandalan Quality Meats
Early Childhood Services - Developing Dreams and Imagine@MacMasters Beach Early Learning Centre
Educational Services - Deep Water Publishing
Fresh Food - George’s Fruit Barn Terrigal
Hairdressing - Milk & Honey Hair
Legal Services - Karim + Nicol Lawyers, MJM Conveyancing and Ryan & Seton Lawyers
New Business - Central Coast Counselling and Daily Dough Co.
Pet Services - Pet Resorts Australia
Pharmacy - Friendly Pharmacy, Lake Munmorah
Real Estate Agency - Wiseberry Heritage Real Estate
Social Enterprise Business - Community Hair Project
Sole Operator - Anuradha Thiers Bookkeeping & Accounting Services
Specialised Retail Small Business - KAB Gallery
Tourism - Helloworld Travel Lakehaven
Transport and Logistics - Dyson Logistics
Young Small Business Champion Entrepreneur - Daily Dough Co.
Join the conversation
New charges: Former life coach denies assaulting teen girls
A former “life coach” has denied sexually and indecently assaulting young teenage girls. It comes as two new victims have come forward prompting further charges, a court has heard.
Read more
Trial date set for truckie involved in fatal crash
A truck driver will face trial almost two years to the day after he was involved in a crash which killed a 17-year-old P-plater and seriously injured a woman, 46.
Read more