Virtual Business Takes Out Top Award in the Kimberley: Home Based 2012

The Kununurra Chamber of Commerce and Industry held its Annual East Kimberley Small Business Awards Night on Friday the 14th September 2012. The Small Business Awards is designed to assist Business to profile their business goals and keep back on track as well as to learn to navigate the pressures and complexities that come with running and maintaining a business.

This year’s awards challenged participants to think more strategically to implement change by addressing core principles of business growth and development... Innovation, Planning and Customer Care. In celebrating this event, Awards were given out for specific categories as well as door prizes for others who attended the event.

The Home Based Business Award is given to honor a home business who has been in business for more than 12 months and has reached a milestone in their business. This milestone should represent an accomplishment that has helped boost their new business toward being an overwhelming success. This year the winner of this award was local Kununurra business woman Renee Chapman, who runs her business, The Admin Chick, which specialises in virtual assistant services performed at her own location, Renee is also the founder of the first ever Industry publication for virtual businesses in Australia, Today’s VA! Magazine.

On winning the Home Based category Renee was totally stunned and said “Bloody hell I can’t believe that I have won such an awesome award and I’d really like to thank the sponsors of this event as well as my best friend Craig Mills, who has been monumental in supporting me through this difficult time, I love you mate, Thank you so much”

Other winners of the night were:• Micro Business - Zebra Rock Gallery• Business with 5 - 10 employees - The House Factory • Business with 10 - 20 employees - Lone Eagle• Best Franchise - IGA Halls Creek• Aboriginal Business - Cross Country Contractors• Best New Business - Yarliyil Art Centre and Overall Winner for the Small Business Awards was awarded to Lone Eagle and all winners go into the nominations for the the GWN7WA Small Business Regional Awards 2012. This is event is exclusive to winners of regional awards only to ensure that Western Australia portrays the best of the best in all areas of the state. The WA State Awards will be held in Perth at the Burswood Gallery Ballroom on the 8th November 2012.

Judges Comments: “The Admin Chick has come onto the scene at theright time for the Kimberley market place to be exploding with newbusinesses and ventures from independent entrepreneurs and communities, Renee has taken a simple business model to the next level and added some good twists”