On Saturday night, I frocked up and braved the squalling rain to attend the Australian Small Business Champion Awards. I was a finalist in the Copywriter Business award and I was pretty excited to attend with some of my fellow Copywriting finalists, Melissa Gerke and The Rural Copywriter.
We were placed on table 2, right front and centre. We could practically see up host Peter Overton’s nostrils we were that close. If the nose bleed section is right at the back of a room, I’d call being right at the front the ear bleed section considering our proximity to the speakers!
As we were so close to the stage, we figured one of us would take away the illustrious crown. Alas, it was not to be, and the award was won by Th3 Audacious Agency from Queensland. Annette made an excellent speech, much better than the one I was rehearsing in my head!
But despite not coming home with the trophy, I had an excellent time. Seeing the joy in their faces as each winner alighted the stage was magical. I also learned a bucket load about small business.
Here are some gems:
1. Persistence is key
Many of the people who won had entered the awards once, twice and even three times before they won. The road to success is not always smooth, but those who persist are more likely to succeed. Don’t give up, friends!
2. Passion is the driving force
I was just so inspired by how passionate these business owners are. From industries as broad as kids dance classes to gardening services, they were passionate about doing their bit to improve other peoples’ lives.
3. It’s been a hard few years
The past few years have been tough for everyone, regardless of the sector. It was something almost everyone mentioned. Unfortunately, with the cost-of-living crisis, the hard times are likely to continue for some time yet. We need to remember this and lead with compassion.
4. Marketing is crucial for success
If you don’t talk about yourself, you’re the world’s best kept secret. The most successful businesses are those that know how to talk themselves up so everyone knows how good they are.
5. Technology is important
Technology, even the dreaded AI, can be our friend. We need to learn how to embrace these new technologies so they can streamline our processes and make us more efficient.
6. Celebrate your successes
It’s important to take time to celebrate your wins, no matter how small. By heading out that night, all 1000 people in the room were enjoying each other’s company and saying congratulations to each other for a job well done. It’s so important to remember how far we’ve come.
7. Relationships are the most important aspect of any business.
Sure, awards are nice, so is money. But at the heart of every small business lies strong relationships. Almost every winner mentioned relationships as the most important thing to them. They talked their team, customers, clients, families and the wider community. It was those relationships that were the most important elements of running a business and made it all worthwhile.
Congratulations to all the winners. Small business is tough – anyone who has the bravery to set up their own business and fight to make it a success is a winner in my eyes.