Three Central Coast businesses have been named best in their field at the Australian Small Business Champion Awards.
Doyalson Animal Hospital won the Veterinarian category and Wiseberry Heritage Gorokan took out the top spot in the Real Estate Agency section.
Practice Manager at Doyalson Animal Hospital, Sarah Styles said it was a lovely surprise to win, especially because it was the first time the business had entered the awards.
“It’s great to get the recognition for the hard work that we do and that we do go above and beyond,” she said.
“Our goal is to be the best veterinarian on the Central Coast and to be the leading animal hospital in excellence for veterinary care.
“This award shows that we are reaching our goals,” Styles said.
Everyone and friendly dogs on leads are welcome to visit the animal hospital at an Open Day on September 24 with hospital tours, giveaways of pet-related products, free dental checks, market stalls and competitions for dogs.
General Manager at Wiseberry Heritage Gorokan, Megan Green said they were “absolutely over the moon” to win the award in the real estate agency category.
“This is a true testament to our team’s hard work and dedication, we cannot thank our local community enough for their continuous support,” she said.
The Gorokan realtor is a three-generation family business started by Darin Butcher and his father George in 1994 and Darin’s two eldest children, Aimee and Toby, have also joined the business.
This year is the second win for Wiseberry, after taking out the same award in 2017.
Sarah Britz of Fountaindale won the Social Enterprise Business category for her online marketplace, Spend With Us.
She started the business with Jenn Donovan and Lauren Hateley at the height of the 2019 drought and the bushfires in 2020 to support rural and regional small businesses.
The marketplace now supports 1500 small businesses and thousands more through their facebook group, Buy From a Bush Business.
“We were stunned to win in this category against some other amazing businesses all making such a difference to the lives of others,” Britz said.
“It’s a beautiful recognition that from little things big things grow and we send out an enormous thanks to our community of sellers, buyers and supporters because without them this social enterprise wouldn’t exist.”
The Central Coast made a strong showing in the Australian Small Business Champion Awards with 36 local finalists across a wide spectrum of business enterprises in about 100 categories.
The awards have grown since 1999 to become a flagship program recognising the achievements of outstanding small businesses from all around the country and across 100 industry categories.
Awards Founder and Managing Director of Precedent Productions, Steve Loe said owners and managers of small businesses deserved to be acknowledged for the hard work and dedication required to produce the levels of business success needed to thrive in their industry.
“Winning an Australian Small Business Champion Award is a fantastic gratification for the people behind successful small businesses,” he said.
The Australian Small Business Champions Awards, developed and managed by Precedent Productions, culminated in two national presentation nights held on September 2 and 3 at The Star Sydney.
Sue Murray