Sponsors Small Business Awards
Local Business Awards Program
The Local Business Awards (previously the Small Business Awards) were initiated by Messenger Newspapers in 1993 with the aim of recognising and rewarding small businesses across Adelaide for providing outstanding products and high standards of service.
- Sponsor Support
- How the Awards Operate
- Program Dates for 2006
- Judging the Finalists
- The Gala Dinner
- The Top Ten Club
- Hints & Tips for Businesses
- Vote for your favourite Business
- Judging Criteria
- Winners & Finalists
Sponsor Support
BankSA has been a major sponsor of the Local Business Awards since their inception and has agreed to continue its support during 2007. This year they are joined by SafeWork SA and Vodafone (as Silver Sponsors). More information on all our sponsors can be found here.
How The Awards Operate
Each year, the public is invited to nominate their favourite local small businesses across four regions of metropolitan Adelaide. The Awards Program begins in February with the City & Eastern Region and concludes in October with the Western Region. Nomination forms appear in the relevant Messenger Newspapers or you can vote online during a four-week voting period and nominated businesses are sorted into one of 20 categories.
At the conclusion of the voting period the top three businesses in each category, based purely on the number of votes received, become our finalists.
Program Dates For 2007
| Voting | Judging | Presentation | |
| City and Eastern Region | 7 Mar - 30 Mar | 10 Apr - 22 Apr | 28 Apr |
| North & North Eastern Region | 24 Apr - 18 May | 28 May - 10 Jun | 16 Jun |
| Southern Region | 27 Jun - 20 Jul | 30 Jul - 12 Aug | 18 Aug |
| Western Region | 5 Sep - 28 Sep | 8 Oct - 21 Oct | 27 Oct |
Judging The Finalists
The list of the 60 finalists in each region is passed to our Judging Panel who then undertakes a "mystery shop" of each business. The judges are totally unaware of the vote count for each of the finalists (ie who came first, second and third etc). Instead, their role is to judge each of these businesses side by side based on three primary criteria.
Presentation
Total 20 points. Elements include: presentation of both premises and stock, and extends to workplace safety issues from the perspectives of both the customer and staff member.
Product / Service
Total 30 points. Elements include: quality and range of the product or service, price competitiveness and availability.
Customer Service
Total 50 points. Elements include: staff presentation, knowledge of the product or service and the level of interaction with the customer.
Once completed, the judging panel advises Messenger Newspapers who the winner is in each category but provides no further feedback in terms of points awarded or other details. This ensures a transparent and arms-length relationship between Messenger Newspapers, the Sponsors and the Judging Panel.
Feedback is, however, readily available to the finalist businesses following the awards presentations.
The Gala Dinner
A gala dinner is held to mark the conclusion of the Local Business Awards in each region. All finalists are invited to attend and it is at this function that the 20 category winners are announced (with excitement levels not dissimilar to the Academy Awards).
The Top-Ten Club
In past years only the finalists were made aware of their success following the voting in each region. However, starting in 2005 a number of changes were made to the Local Business Awards Program including acknowledgement of the Top Ten businesses in each category. The first three become category finalists and are judged on their merits as detailed above.
Those businesses achieving a ranking of fourth to tenth in the voting now receive a Top Ten Certificate, which they can proudly display for those customers who have supported them to see. In 2005 it lead to a number of these businesses becoming aware, for the first time, of how they had faired in the Awards voting, and vowing they would make it into the finals in 2006. Many of them did!
We look forward to seeing many new businesses in the finals for 2007.
Should you have any questions regarding the Small Business Awards program, use the contacts page on this site to send me a message.
David Floyd
Chairman of Judges
Local Business Awards