It's hailed as the Oscars of small businesses and this year four Highland businesses have been nominated for the 2019 Australian Small Business Champion Awards.
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The 21st annual awards take place on April 6 at The Star, Sydney and are the largest awards program for small businesses in Australia with 46 industry categories.
The Sell Block, The Shaggy Cow, Gossip Hair and Beauty, and Eschalot Restaurant have all been nominated.
Nicky Alekna from The Sell Shop was amazed when she got the phone call to say she was nominated.
"We would've had judges walking in and we didn't know," she said.
"It's great, hopefully we will win."
The Sell Shop has been nominated for special retail small business, the only retail business to be nominated in the Highlands.
Mittagong cafe The Shaggy Cow has been nominated for a small business award in the cafe category for the third year in a row.
Owner of The Shaggy Cow, Elouise McCullum was very excited to be nominated again.
"We're very honoured to be a part of it. We won two years ago, so fingers crossed we win again," she said.
The awards were established in 1999 by Steve Loe of Precedent Productions to celebrate the achievements of small business people.
"Creating the Australian Small Business Awards seemed like an ideal way to honour the contribution that small business people make to our community," he said.
"Since we launched the program in 1999 the Australian Small Business Champion Awards have grown to become the largest and most prestigious recognition of our small business community in the country.
"It's the only national program of its kind to recognise achievements and honour great performances in small business," he said.
"There are many small business owners who will never be millionaires, but whose contribution to their communities is invaluable."
About 30 judges evaluate the entries and look at all aspects of a winning business including: strategies, customer service, vision, support of the local community and growth.
There are also two categories for individual business people: Small Business Champion Entrepreneur and Young Small Business Champion Entrepreneur.
For further information visit www.businesschampions.com.au.
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