A time to celebrate business success
The opportunity to celebrate the successful journeys of North Canterbury businesses is here again.
The Enterprise North Canterbury (ENC) Business Award applications are open, and ENC is eager to hear from local businesses.
ENC is an Economic Development Agency for Waimakariri and Hurunui District Councils. Every two years it holds the ENC Business Awards, an opportunity to celebrate and recognise success.
A former recipient is Kate Miller, owner of beauty salon ‘Beauty and You’ in Amberley.
Just two years after opening her business, in 2016 she entered these Awards where she was named the winner of the Hellers Emerging Business Award.
Fast track to 2018, Kate re-entered the awards under the retail category where she was over the moon to place as a finalist.
Prior to her success in the awards, Kate was hesitant to put her business out there. It was not until she received a much-needed push from Community Team member at the Hurunui District Council, Vanessa Nelmes that she decided to give it a go.
“It was actually Vanessa from Council who really encouraged me to get involved, which I am very grateful for.”
This much-needed push led to an amazing outcome for Kate and her salon.
“When I won, I was mind blown, I didn’t even think I would place. It took days for it to sink in…. being recognised for the work you do is such a great feeling; it gives you so much confidence in your ability to run your business successfully and know that you are doing a great job.”
When asked about the application process, Kate explained the benefits of being able to sit down and pinpoint the successes and shortcomings of her business.
“I gained so much from the application process. It provided me with insight into my strengths and weaknesses as a business owner, which is generally not something you make the time to do when you’re busy.”
Entering the awards not only allowed Kate to prove to herself she has a great business, but also allowed her to prove it to the community.
“It was a great way to put my business out there and let people know what I do and why. The salon got busier because my business was being talked about frequently, it really boosted advertising and business promotion.”
ENC Business Support Manager, Miles Dalton has run the last few ENC Business Awards and really emphasised their importance for North Canterbury communities.
“The Awards are a celebration of what local businesses have achieved, it is a great way to get your name out there and show the public that your business is successful…. The Awards are for big and small businesses, they focus on the journey rather than the size, so we encourage everyone to give it a go.”
Aside from celebration, Miles also discussed the benefits that being part of the awards can create for workplace morale and publicity.
“It is a great boost for staff as it is encouraging for them to know they are working for a business that really believes in itself. This is also clear to the public, who are more likely to use a business that believes it deserves recognition. It instills confidence in people.”
Kate said that if she could communicate one message to hesitant businesses, it would be that there is no downside to taking a step toward a well-deserved celebration of your success.
“You’ve got to nothing to lose and everything to gain.”
To find out more about the Enterprise North Canterbury Business Awards, follow the link below to the Enterprise North Canterbury website.
https://www.northcanterbury.co.nz/