Brilliant small and medium businesses using online innovation to rise above the competition are among the 24 finalists in the 2015 Telstra NSW Business Awards.
NSW finalists from the property, recruitment, marketing and finance industries are looking to digital technologies to customise services, attract new markets and create a superior customer experience.
Telstra Business Group Managing Director and Telstra Business Awards Ambassador Will Irving said the NSW finalists are a unique group of businesses making an important contribution to the state’s economy.
“The Telstra Business Awards reward innovation and celebrate the unwavering passion of Australia’s small and medium businesses. They have poured their savings into a dream of independence and doing what they love in their own way – and they are doing it exceptionally well.”
NSW finalists adopting online technologies for market advantage include:
- Five D, a Sydney-based property and facilities management business that has created a customised management information system technology to provide clients across 33 countries real-time data and information to track queries, requests and work orders;
- Expr3ss! Software that Solves Staff Selection, launched in 2008 by Carolyne Burns, and Dr Glyn Brokensha, developed a cloud-based predictive hiring software that uses algorithms based on the client’s corporate culture to find the best-fit job candidate;
- Online Marketing Gurus, launched in 2012 by Mez Homayunfard and Andrew Raso, has helped more than 140 Australian businesses drive sales growth and enter competitive markets with innovative online marketing strategies to reach digital audiences;
- Prospa, whose founders Greg Moshal and Beau Bertoli developed an online platform to make it easier for small business to apply for loans. The start-up, launched in 2012, has helped finance more than 1000 customers with its online application service.
The rise of the health conscious consumer is driving profitable niche markets for natural beverage companies Red Dragon Organics, H2coco Pure Coconut Water and Nexba Beverages among this year’s NSW finalists.
Regional finalists include Sue and Murray Tyler’s Southern Highlands driving school Highlands Drive Safe, Newcastle residential and building maintenance service RTC Group Holdings, Chris and Trish Denny’s Southern Cross Resorts in Port Macquarie and Riverina cotton producer Southern Cotton.
The Telstra Business Awards were established in 1992 to celebrated brilliant Australian small and medium businesses. Winners of the 2015 Telstra NSW Business Awards will be announced at the Westin Sydney on Tuesday 21 July. NSW winners proceed to the national Awards held in Sydney on 20 August.
The finalists for the 2015 Telstra NSW Business Awards are:
Start-Up Award
Ample Projects Sydney
Flow Athletic Paddington
Online Marketing Gurus Pyrmont
Prospa Sydney
Refraction Media Chippendale
Micro Business Award
Highlands Drive Safe Moss Vale
Nexba Beverages Sydney
Red Dragon Organics Lismore
RUFUS & COCO PTY LTD Mosman
SOLE THERAPY Ramsgate Beach
Small Business Award
AlertForce Potts Point
Amazonia Sydney
Expr3ss! Software that Solves Staff Selection North Sydney
H2coco Pure Coconut Water Surry Hills
Sydney Criminal Lawyers Sydney
Medium Business Award
Empower Construction Arndell Park
Ezypay Chatswood
Five D Sydney
GLENCO ELECTRICAL SERVICES Sydney
King Content Surry Hills
National Financial Advisors Parramatta
Regional Award
Highlands Drive Safe Moss Vale
RTC GROUP HOLDINGS PTY LTD Newcastle
Southern Cotton Whitton
Southern Cross Resorts Port Macquarie
Awards information and tickets to the NSW Gala Dinner can be purchased by visiting telstrabusinessawards.com or by calling 1800 AWARDS between 9am and 7pm AEST Monday to Friday.