By Clyde Mooney
Entries are now open for the 20th Telstra Australian Business Awards, which boasts a strong association with the hospitality industry.
Speaking to TheShout, awards ambassador Will Irving said hotels have traditionally fared well in the program due to their culture of self-promotion.
“Throughout their 20-year history, the Telstra Business Awards have enjoyed strong interest from the hospitality industry. This has a lot to do with how PR-savvy the hospitality industry is, as business owners have been attracted by the great opportunity the awards offer to gain a national profile.”
Businesses entering the Awards are given a free independent ‘business health check’ – a 70-page report that assesses individual performance against international benchmarking standards, current legislation and accepted industry best practice.
For finalists and winners, the Awards bring public profile, a share of $500,000 in cash and prizes, and the privilege of joining an exclusive national business alumni.
“Now with social media helping take small businesses global, we’re seeing even more entrepreneurs recognise and try to capitalise on this opportunity to build their profile.
“Our finalists get to meet and share ideas with other leading businesses from around the country – another great opportunity to learn from Australia’s best,” Irving said.
The five categories are: the HTC Start-up award for businesses 1-3 years old (new in 2012), the News Limited Micro-Business award for businesses with fewer than 5 people, the MYOB Small Business award for businesses with 5-20 employees, the Commonwealth Bank Medium Business award for businesses with 20-200 employees and the Telstra Regional award for businesses outside metropolitan areas.
State and Territory winners of each of the five categories will go to the national announcement ceremony in Sydney on August 29.
The closing date for entries is April 2.