Two Penticton businesses have moved to the top five finalists in their categories for the annual Small Business B.C. Awards competition.
Wine Crush Market (nominated in the Best Concept category) and The Henna Hut (nominated in the Best Marketer category) will now face a Dragons’ Den-style panel of business experts who will determine the winner in each of their categories.
See the full list of finalists here
Small Business B.C. is a resource for entrepreneurs, and the Insurance Bureau of Canada asked British Columbians to nominate their favourite small businesses for the 14th Annual Small Business BC Awards between Oct. 1 and Nov. 30, 2016.
"We saw an incredible level of participation in the Small Business B.C. Awards this year with 699 nominations from 72 communities across the province,” said George Hunter, CEO of Small Business B.C. “We're proud to acknowledge all the companies who participated and would like to congratulate all those who made it into this year's top five as finalists in the competition. These entrepreneurs are helping build a vibrant economy in B.C. and the Small Business BC Awards are the best way to celebrate and acknowledge their success and contribution."
The Small Business B.C. Awards is the largest small business awards competition in the province. These awards recognize the outstanding achievements of British Columbia's entrepreneurs and celebrate the contributions of new and existing businesses registered in B.C., with fewer than 50 employees, make to their local communities and the global economy.
Those who activated their communities and received the most votes between Oct. 1 and Nov. 30, 2016 were named the top 10 semi-finalists on Dec. 12, 2016 and invited to submit a more detailed application. These applications were used to decide the top five finalists in this year's competition.
These outstanding businesses will now face a Dragons' Den-style panel of business experts who will determine the winner in each category.
Pitches will be held in-person at Small Business B.C. in Vancouver between Feb. 6 to 14.
The winners will be announced at the annual Small Business B.C. Awards ceremony at the Pan Pacific Vancouver on Feb. 23 during an evening of drinks, appetizers and networking with 500 B.C. business owners, industry influencers, government officials and special guests.
Recipients of Small Business B.C. Awards will be recognized with the Premier's Prize in the amount of $1,500 cash, a one-year all-access pass to Small Business B.C. education, resources and experts and one-on-one business mentorship with notable advisors from the award sponsors.