Brilliant Businesses at Sunshine Coast Business Awards
Sunshine Coast Business Awards Chair, Jennifer Swaine, previews what promises to be another outstanding celebration of local business success.
September is an exciting month for me as it heralds the announcement of the finalists in the annual Sunshine Coast Business Awards (SCBA). As I prepare this editorial, we have 36 independent judges assessing the 239 applications we received this year, with the finalists to be announced after this magazine has gone to print.
Hand-selected by the SCBA volunteer committee for their business acumen and commitment to helping us recognise the incredible entrepreneurial talent we have across our region, the judges were all excited to review the applications. It’s no mean feat with each judge assessing approximately 20 applications as every single application is read and assessed by three independent judges in the first stage of the process. Finalists are then interviewed by another panel of independent judges before scores are tallied to discover the overall winners.
Last year we broke all previous records by receiving 250 applications and I’m pleased to see that, in what has been a challenging year for many, we were only 11 entries short of that number in 2024. We did however, see a higher completion rate of businesses starting and finishing their application, around 67 per cent; and there was a significant increase in people attending workshops and information sessions, both in person and online, which no doubt assisted those that entered and encouraged them to complete their application.
Interestingly, around half of the applications are businesses that have never entered the awards before and it’s fantastic to see and hear about all of these different businesses. A highlight for me is discovering the depth, talent and passion of local businesses once the finalists are announced. I find it simply fascinating to hear how people came up with an idea or pushed ahead with a dream – even when others doubted them. I also love hearing how they find solutions to problems and the passion that drives their success.
Overall, there are 17 categories and Professional Services once again attracted the highest number of applications, followed closely by Trades & Services; Business Services; Experiences; and finally, Hospitality. Providing there are sufficient numbers, we award a Small and Large winner in each category. The Export and Business of the Year winners are drawn from the category winners and businesses that have won three years in a row are inducted into the Hall of Fame.
I wish everyone the best of luck with the impending Finalists announcement and cannot wait to learn more about you and your business.
