Digital innovators reshaping business sectors from legal and government to marketing and even hair care are among 22 finalists in the 2015 Telstra Queensland Business Awards.
Telstra Business Group Managing Director and Telstra Business Awards Ambassador Will Irving said the Queensland finalists are a unique group of businesses making an important contribution to local communities from the Cape York Peninsula to Burleigh Heads, as well as the state 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,” he said.
Business owners are leveraging technology prowess to transform customer experience and gain a competitive edge. These finalists include:
- Online law firm Virtual Legal which is servicing 650 clients across Australia with fixed-fee virtual services. Established by Katie Richards in 2013, the business model makes services cost-competitive and accessible to clients in any location at any time.
- member evolution, which is providing web design, internet marketing and digital services to more than 500 clients across Australia and New Zealand. Launched in 2009, founder Mike Whitehouse has taken his 25 years’ experience in the IT industry to provide cutting-edge services from his Brisbane base.
- Cairns-based Inspection Apps, whose founders Matt Hanson and Darryl Posgate invented a cloud-based mobile app platform that replaces the need for paper-based checklists across industries and has attracted major government contracts to support asset portfolio management.
- Burleigh Heads business Ry.com.au, whose founders James Patten and Bradley Carr combined their hairdressing and IT expertise to create an online shop of more than 8000 haircare and cosmetics products. Since launching in 2005, it has sold more than one million products.
Other innovative Queensland small and medium business finalists include equipment manufacturer Quik Corp which developed a remote control spraying system for noxious weeds and TenasiTech, which is exporting its breakthrough scratch resistant acrylic glass technology to the US and Canada.
Regional finalists include Cape York Camping Punsand Bay, a former fishing lodge transformed into a booming tourism business, and Wayne McGinness’ Kuranda-based contemporary art business Aboriginal Steel Art.
The Telstra Business Awards were established in 1992 to celebrate brilliant Australian small and medium businesses. Winners of the 2015 Telstra Queensland Business Awards will be announced at the Sofitel Brisbane on 30 July. Queensland winners proceed to the national Awards in Sydney on 20 August.
The finalists for the 2015 Telstra Queensland Business Awards are:
Start-up Award
Ani Trans Transport, Innot Hot Springs
Cape York Camping Punsand Bay, Cape York Peninsula
Ecoriginals, Murarrie
Virtual Legal, Albion
Micro Business Award
Aboriginal Steel Art, Kuranda
HAIR DINKUM, Deagon
Inspection Apps, Cairns
SalesFix, North Lakes
Styling You with Nikki Parkinson, Paddington
TenasiTech, St Lucia
Small Business Award
AGRI LABOUR AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, Kelvin Grove
Beginning Boutique, West End
Improve Group Learning Solutions, Cleveland
member evolution, Eight Mile Plains
Ry.com.au, Burleigh Heads
The Print Bar, Windsor
Medium Business Award
Australian Innovative Systems, Tingalpa
JP Piping Systems Pty Ltd, South Mackay
Miktysh, Shailer Park
MEC Mining, Brisbane
Quik Corp, Warana
Tú Projects, East Brisbane
Regional Award
Aboriginal Steel Art, Kuranda
Cape York Camping Punsand Bay, Cape York Peninsula
Inspection Apps, Cairns
JP Piping Systems Pty Ltd, South Mackay
Ani Trans Transport, Innot Hot Springs
Quik Corp, Warana
Awards information and tickets to the Queensland Gala Dinner can be purchased by visiting telstrabusinessawards.com or by calling 1800 AWARDS between 9am and 7pm AEST Monday to Friday.