Fraser Valley – Small Business BC, the province’s premier resource centre for entrepreneurs, asked British Columbians to nominate and vote for their favourite small businesses between October 1 and November 30 for the 13th Annual Small Business BC Awards February 25, 2016.
This year marked the biggest year yet for the Small Business BC Awards competition with a total of 535 published nominees from 71 communities across British Columbia.
The businesses with the highest number of votes in each award category were announced as the Top 10 Semi-Finalists on December 11, 2015. The Top 5 finalists have now been selected and invited to present a 10-minute pitch to the internal and external judges to prove themselves as BC’s best. These companies are:
PREMIER’S PEOPLE’S CHOICE
Presented by the Province of British Columbia Back to Earth Enviro Products Inc. – Coldstream
Game Quest – Prince George Lighthouse Visionary Strategies – Whistler Shiraz Café and Restaurant – Prince George Vintage & Restoration Love – Dawson Creek |
BEST APPRENTICE TRAINING
Presented by ITA and BCIT KYBE Electrical Contracting – North Vancouver
Mussell Crane – Chilliwack Pender Auto Body Ltd. – Vancouver Schubert Plumbing & Heating Ltd. – Mission Solid Rock Steel Fabricating Co. Ltd. – Surrey |
BEST COMMMUNITY IMPACT
Presented by Vancity Coco Café – Nanaimo
Cowichan Women Against Violence Society – Duncan Doi Chaang Coffee Company – Vancouver The Sparkle Project BC – Abbotsford Tla’amin Convenience Store – Powell River |
BEST COMPANY
Presented by Dell All Inclusive Marketing Inc. – Vancouver
Jive Communications – Vancouver LNG Studios – Vancouver Vital Body Weight Loss Centre – Burnaby What The Fungus – Summerland |
BEST CONCEPT
Presented by MNP LLP Big Heart Publishing Inc. – Wells
Circus Play Café – Vancouver ElleBoxCo – Vancouver Filaprint – Tumbler Ridge Riipen Networks – Vancouver |
BEST EMERGING ENTREPRENEUR
Presented by Yellow Pages Big Bro’s Barbershop – Vancouver
JOMA Environmental Ltd. – Victoria Odonit – Vancouver Skynation – Vancouver Valkyrie Martial Arts Inc. – Vancouver |
BEST EMPLOYER
Presented by WorkSafeBC Intuitive Rehab Services – Chilliwack
North Construction Ltd. – North Vancouver Pender Auto Body Ltd. – Vancouver VictorEric Design Group – Vancouver Vij’s Restaurant – Vancouver |
BEST INTERNATIONAL TRADE
Presented by Livingston International Arriba Mexico Food Co. – Esquimalt
DEEBEE’S SpecialTea Foods – Victoria Lulu Island Winery – Richmond Milo Enterprises Inc. – Vancouver Republica Coffee Roasters Inc. – Fort Langley |
BEST ONLINE MARKETER
Presented by Sage 6S Marketing Inc. – Vancouver
Butter Studios – Port Moody Glitter & Spice – South Surrey Sunberry Fitness – Richmond The Counselling Group – White Rock |
BEST WORKPLACE
Presented by WellnessFits Intuitive Rehab Services – Chilliwack
Left of the Dot Media – Maple Ridge Mandala Homes – Nelson Nucleus Networks Inc. – Vancouver Rainbow’s Roost – Kamloops |
“We’d like to congratulate the Top 5 and wish them the best of luck as they pitch the judges,” says George Hunter, CEO at Small Business BC. “The participation of greater numbers of nominees from even more communities across the province this year has made for an entertaining and very high-spirited competition.”
The winners of each category will be announced at the Small Business BC Awards Ceremony on February 25, 2016 at the Pan Pacific Vancouver Hotel.
Recipients of Small Business BC Awards will be recognized with the Premier’s Prize in the amount of $1,500 cash. The winners will also be offered a one-year All-Access pass to Small Business BC education resources and experts, and one-on-one business mentorship opportunities with notable advisors from award sponsors.
More details on the Small Business BC Awards can be found at www.sbbcawards.ca.