The important role innovation has played in the survival of many businesses during COVID-19 has been recognised at the Illawarra Women in Business Awards.
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Revealing the winner of the 2020 Innovative Business Woman Award judge Diana Foye, of Foye Legal, said "innovation has never been as important as it is today".
"The way we do business has changed significantly since March," she said.
"Innovation is about discovering new ways of doing business, from how we engage with our clients, how we deliver our services and how we interact with and support our staff."
Mrs Foye said all six finalists had shown resilience by finding new ways to do business and in some cases pivoting into new markets. She said they had all embraced new technology, re-engineered their processes and developed innovative ways to keep trading.
Mrs Foye said Dr Emma McIntyre, of Environmental Mapping & Planning Consulting, experienced a light bulb moment and innovated in an industry that generally had an archaic way of delivering services with lengthy delays.
She spoke of how Dr McIntyre had left a successful career to follow her dream and succeed as an entrepreneur by being brave enough to change the way things have traditionally been done.
She created a niche in the market six years ago by establishing EMAP Consulting to develop products online.
Dr McIntyre felt everyone should have access to high quality, reliable open source planning data to help them make informed decisions about property and the environment. Her products can be generated in minutes and provide a unique combination of planning and environmental layers in one report.
During COVID she future-proofed the business by automating online delivery of EMAP products to service a wider client base. She also collaborated with other service providers to develop an online, interactive community consultation process.
Dr McIntyre expressed how fortunate she was to live and do business in the Illawarra, particularly in 2020. She said winning the innovation award meant so much because she knew how hard all business people were working to adjust to the COVID world.
"I am a sole trader environmental scientist. My business provides environmental assessment and spacial analysis services," she said.
Dr McIntyre recently diversified the business and developed a new site interactive information app during COVID-19 that can be ordered online and delivered to clients within 24 hours. It is generating considerable interest from the real estate sector.
She works from a working space in the Consortium Lounge run by Carmen Rudd who was highly commended in the same category.
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Greg Ellis
Almost four decades in electronic, print and digital media. A writer, presenter, emcee, photographer and videographer with degrees in business management, marketing and human resources and tertiary qualifications in photography.
Almost four decades in electronic, print and digital media. A writer, presenter, emcee, photographer and videographer with degrees in business management, marketing and human resources and tertiary qualifications in photography.
