We'll start with the most important award... the one that Broadband Compare won!
This category is based on votes. All entries in this category submit a publicly-available profile. Businesses are encouraged to persuade customers, staff, colleagues, family, friends and others to vote for them. This category is intended to be a bit of fun, and to provide a way for businesses to draw attention to themselves, their brand and their product, and to leverage their networks.
Winner: Broadband Compare
Below is a media release we recieved from the David Awards following judging - congratulations to all the winners in other categories.
Overall, this year's Awards attracted some great entries.“There were several categories where the competition was fierce this year, among them the Most Outstanding Fledgling Business category!”, says Judge Glenn Baker. “There were a number of really great entries and innovation and smart thinking were evident with a number of businesses offering unique products and services. This is a very healthy sign for the New Zealand business sector. The Established, Innovation, Solo Meo and Adversity categories were particularly strong this year.”
For the past decade, The David Awards have been recognising the unsung heroes in home and small businesses throughout New Zealand – the Kiwi Davids taking on the Goliaths of the New Zealand business landscape.
Judge Glenn Smith commented that with a record number of entries this year in the Triumph over Adversity Category, it was a particularly challenging category to judge. "Many of the stories of triumph were harrowing. However, a small number stood out to the judges as truly inspiring," he enthuses.“There were several stand-out entries that captured perfectly the essence of what the David Awards are all about – small businesses punching way above their weight in the face of real adversity,” adds Glenn Baker.
Winners for 2017 are:
A young or start-up business which is under two years old. The owner will be passionate about their business, and the business itself will be smart, quirky, or just very professionally set up.
Winner:
Establish
Other finalists:
Broadband Compare
Craft Smoothie
Frankie Apothecary
A business which has moved beyond the start-up phase and is two or more years old, which has a proven track record and some or all of the plans/people/systems/processes in place to make a long-term or well-above-average future a reality. This Award seeks to recognise a business planning for and/or coping with the changes required to take a business through expansion and significant growth, or which has achieved a level of security and maturity. This business will be able to demonstrate proven financial success.
Winner:
Heart Saver NZ Limited
Other finalists:
BB Distillers Limited
Doll Face Mineral Makeup Ltd
Firefly
Waglands Dogs' Holiday Retreat Limited
A business which has succeeded in spite of challenges beyond the usual. This may be due to due to personal issues the owner has had to deal with, circumstances beyond their control, or unexpected setbacks.
Winner:
NZ Sign Solutions
Other finalists:
Craft Smoothie
Mana Property Law Ltd
Waglands Dogs' Holiday Retreat Limited
A business which epitomises the ability to integrate business and lifestyle, with the owner(s) taking advantage of its flexibility to fit income generation around spending time on family or leisure activities or other pursuits. While lifestyle is an important judging criterion, this business must still demonstrate its economic viability.
Winner:
Kate The Gardener Ltd
Finalists:
Imagine Box
This is a business which demonstrates a new or clever way of going about things, or which is conceptually innovative, or a business which develops and harnesses technology to help it punch above its weight. A new product or service developed by the business owner may be the prime focus of an entry in this category, or something like enhanced mobility or efficiency gained through bespoke software development or the entry may revolve around a new or different use for existing technology. This category also suits and entry which demonstrates the inspired use of readily-available technology at a level above and beyond what most other businesses in their field are doing.
Winner:
Excio
Other finalists:
Doll Face Mineral Makeup Ltd
Urban Dogs
Verifi Identity Services Limited
A business which punches above its weight in terms of getting the word out, achieving profile and attracting business. Typically, this Award recognises a business which knows how to find potential customers using a variety of media effectively and which understands how to communicate with members of its target audience and get them to take the next step towards a purchase.
Winner:
Heart Saver NZ Limited
Other finalists:
Broadband Compare
Urban Dogs
A business which gives back to its community, e.g. local, regional or industry sector, in ways, shapes or forms which benefit the community significantly. This Award is intended to highlight a business where the community involvement is not what the business is about, but part of how it goes about doing whatever its core business is. Businesses whose main objective is to benefit the community should consider entering other categories, and if they enter this one, will need to clarify what part of what they do is not their core business in order to meet the criteria for this Award.
Winner:
The Dubliner
Other finalists:
Bay Learning Academy
Kate The Gardener Ltd
Nest Consulting
This Award celebrates a solo business owner who runs their business single-handedly. It recognises all-round business excellence, from concept through to execution. Entrants in this category must be sole owners of their business, and cannot employ anyone else in a dedicated, ongoing capacity for over 10 hours a week (e.g. virtual assistant, sales rep) but can employ others to undertake specific tasks for the business from time to time (e.g. an accountant, web designer, copywriter or product demonstrators). Distributor-type relationships are excluded provided they work from independent premises.
Joint Winners:
Burton Security
Craft Smoothie
Other finalists:
BB Distillers Limited
Frankie Apothecary
View the video at www.thedavidawards.co.nz for more information about the categories and winners, and some comments from the Judges.
