Personalised Favours, based at West Gosford, has been named Australia’s Favourite Family Business for 2024 in the Kochie’s Business Builders competition.
The business began when founder Melissa Wilkinson was planning her wedding more than a decade ago.
“I was struggling to find affordable, personalised wedding favours in Australia,” she said.
Recognising the demand for unique, customisable gifts, she launched an eBay store.
Her mother stepped in to handle customer service, while Wilkinson managed the designs and outsourced the production locally.
Within two years, the business took off.
As the orders poured in, Wilkinson’s brother-in-law Matthew Mosse-Robinson brought his financial expertise from the banking industry to the table.
“Matthew joined as my business partner, and with my background in industrial design and his financial experience, we transformed the business from a backyard operation into a multi-million-dollar company,” Wilkinson said.
Personalised Favours ships more that 100,000 personalised gifts each year, with customers across Australia, New Zealand, and the USA.
“As a passionate, family-owned business, we specialise in creating personalised gifts for all special occasions, including birthdays, weddings, and Christmas,” Wilkinson said.
“What started as a small home-based operation has now grown into a successful business with my husband, sister, and brother-in-law working alongside me every day.
“We take immense pride in our work and our dedication to making every gift unique and special for our customers.
“We believe that our story is a great example of how family businesses can succeed despite multiple setbacks through a lot of dedication and hard work combined with a sprinkling of luck and good timing.”
Wilkinson said she was extremely proud of being named Australia’s Favourite Family Business for 2024.
“The competition was based on votes, and reaching out to our community for their support was such a heartwarming experience,” she said.
“The overwhelming feedback we received was truly touching.
“It’s incredible to be recognised for the years of hard work and sacrifices we have made.
“This award reflects our dedication to strong values, as well as our commitment to quality, innovation, and customer experience.
“Driving a business forward requires immense self-motivation, and awards like this really make all the difference.”
The win will see the business feature on Kochie’s Business Builders TV show in 2025.
“This exposure will give our business a platform to reach even more people and share our success story,” Wilkinson said.
“It will help us grow and connect with new customers while strengthening the trust and relationships we have built with our community.”
Cec Busby, editor of Kochie’s Business Builders, said the passion and commitment shown by Wilkinson and her team was an inspiration for small business owners.
“This award is a testament to their hard work, creativity, and the strong relationships they’ve built with their customers,” he said.
“We’re super excited to be able to feature their journey on our TV show next year and celebrate their success.”
The 2024 Australia’s Favourite Family Business competition highlighted the outstanding contributions family businesses make to the nation.