An awards programme has been launched to recognise private and public sector organisations and individuals who support small businesses.
The brainchild of business support specialist Sarah Trotman, the awards are a collaboration between her, the New Zealand Business Excellence Foundation and foundation sponsor Vero.
Trotman said that with more than
a third - 38.1 per cent or $25.9 billion - of the economy's output generated by SMEs in 2002, it was time to recognise organisations that offered quality products or services to small businesses.
"It's about encouraging the evolution of business support services and products which add value to small business owners."
The biggest inhibitor to growth was time. Owners spent too much time working in their business rather than on it.
"These awards will benchmark organisations that add value to business owners, be they in banking and financial services, telecommunications, IT, human resource issues, business mentoring, Government, business and advice support or marketing," Trotman said.
Entries close May 27.
