In 2015 Lisa Burling was not planning to enter the Illawarra Business Awards. But she is so grateful for what happened when she did throw her hat into the ring that she now wants to encourage others to do the same.
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Ms Burling’s business LBPR won the Most Outstanding New Illawarra Business Award last year.
“It was my first foray into the business chamber awards and one that I found very rewarding,” she said.
“For me the trepidation came from a little bit of fear. As a business owner I have always struggled with self confidence. But I thought I don’t do it now I will. I found the process incredibly fulfilling for myself and my team. It was an opportunity to reflect on an amazing 12 months. We actually invited a number of our clients to provide us with testimonials.”
Now if Ms Burling ever questions what she is doing as a single mum with two young children trying to run a busy business..she gets them out and reads them for inspiration. It reminds her how the business she started on a kitchen table a few years ago now has a team that is doing great work helping other businesses tell their stories. She said the interview process was also good and winning resulted in more new clients knocking on the door.
“The other thing it did for me personally was give me confidence as a business owner that I could do it and that I was an example of best practice. And it was a launch pad for Catalyst which is our Australian first student consultancy..in collaboration with the University of Wollongong,” she said.
Illawarra Business Chamber acting chief executive Jo Spencer announced IMB Bank as the new principal partner for the 2016 awards.
IMB Bank chief executive Robert Ryan said support for local communities has always been at the core of the 136 year old business.
“Last week we announced a further donation of $500,000 to local community groups through the..community foundation which now takes our total donation over the past 17 years to more than $8 million,” he said.
“We see our naming rights sponsorship of the Illawarra Business Awards as further evidence of our community philosophy by supporting excellence in the Illawarra business community.”
Illawarra Regional Advisory Council president Janine Cullen said KPMG Wollongong managing partner Warwick Shanks was the auditor overseeing the judging process and University of Wollongong vice chancellor Professor Paul Wellings was the ambassador of the judges.There are 15 categories in 2016. Winners of 11 categories will progress as finalists in the NSW Business Chamber Business Awards on November 25.
“This alignment is fantastic. In 2014 local winner GJ Gardner Homes Shoalhaven went on to win the Excellence in Business Ethics Award for NSW,” Ms Cullen said.
The Illawarra awards will be held on October 21 at WIN Entertainment Centre.
Nominations close on July 29. Entries at awards.illawarrabusiness.com.au.
Categories where winners progress to the NSW Business Chamber Awards are young business executive (aged 18 – 35), young entrepreneur (aged 18 – 35), business leader (aged 36+), excellence in business ethics, excellence in innovation, excellence in sustainability, excellence in small business, excellence in business, employer of choice, excellence in export and local chamber of commerce.
And categories that don’t progress to the the NSW Business Chamber Awards are excellence in customer service, outstanding new Illawarra business, excellence in age-friendly award and business of the year.
2016 IMB Bank Illawarra Business Award sponsors include IMB Bank, Access Law Group, BlueScope, Export Growth China, Illawarra Mercury, IRT Foundation, Kiama Municipal Council, Peoplecare, TAFE Illawarra, University of Wollongong and Wollongong City Council.
