June 23, 2010Q400 companies
Di Bella Coffee,
E3! Style,
Abacus ALS and
Blue Sky Funds Management are among finalists for the 2010
Telstra Queensland Business Awards, announced this week.
A shortlist of 19 SME’s have been chosen as finalists for this year’s awards, which for the first time in their 18-year history offer entrants the chance to get a free ‘business health check’.
Telstra Business Group Managing Director and Telstra Business Awards Ambassador, Deena Shiff, says the detailed assessment based on international benchmarking confirms Queensland’s leading firms have solid business plans in place.
”About 80 percent of the businesses shortlisted had identified growing local market share as key to their future growth, with half setting their sights on expansion internationally, interstate, and to other regions of Queensland,” Shiff says.
“The Health Check also showed that all of the companies selected as finalists had thorough plans looking as far as a decade ahead and were primed and ready to seek out future growth opportunities,” she says.
"These leading businesses are also focused on knowing their customers better, increasing productivity, diversifying their products and enhancing day-to-day processes.”
Q400 COMPANIES MAKE THE CUTBrisbane-based Di Bella Coffee (founder Phillip Di Bella pictured), which is ranked 108 in
QBR’s 2009
Queensland 400, has been nominated for two awards: medium business and social responsibility.
Abacus ALS (145 in the
Q400) is also competing for the medium business award, while electronics powerhouse E3! Style (309 in the
Q400) is a finalist in the small business category.
Brisbane's Blue Sky Fund Management (157 in the
Q400) is one of five finalists in the innovation category.
Other companies shortlisted for prizes include a beach sports company established by an Olympic gold medalist, a veterinary clinic which promotes preventative pet health care by a rewards program for customers, and an Indigenous-owned North Queensland contractor to the mining and construction industries.
Finalists for the Telstra Queensland Business Awards come under five categories: business owner micro-business; MYOB small business; Panasonic Australia medium business; AMP innovation; and Sensis social responsibility.
The winners of the state awards, which will be announced at the Sofitel on July 13, will receive a share of the $400,000 in cash and prizes.
As part of the exclusive national business alumni, they will proceed to the national awards to be announced in Sydney on August 20.
