Online wedding directory named Victoria’s top business

Australia’s growing love affair with online shopping was reflected last night when three net-based businesses offering wedding services, custom-designed wall stickers and bicycles won Victoria’s top business awards.

Easy Weddings, a directory featuring 3,500 wedding suppliers including dress designers, reception venues, caterers, musicians and photographers, was named as the 2011 Telstra Victorian Business of the Year after earlier winning the MYOB Small Business Award.

Established a decade ago when owners Katrina and Matt Butterworth were planning their own wedding, easyweddings.com.au attracts 224,000 unique visitors a month and maintains the number one spot in the sector through its technology leadership.

Other winners of Telstra Victorian Business Awards included The Wall Sticker Company, a manufacturer and online trader of removable stickers for homes and business, and BikeExchange.com.au, which has become Australia’s third most visited sports shopping website in just four years.

Telstra Business Group Managing Director and Awards Ambassador Deena Shiff said all winners were entrepreneurs and innovators running outstanding businesses whose success was an inspiration to others in Victoria’s small and medium sector.

Ms Shiff said Telstra was proud that the Awards program, now in its 19th year, continued to celebrate risk-takers and achievers who were creating local job opportunities and were the backbone of local communities.

The Mulgrave-based Easy Weddings was described by Awards judges as “a very efficient business with a strong team and excellent culture that was constantly at the front of the wave of technology.”

Easy Weddings owner Katrina Butterworth said: “We are a pivotal part of one of the most memorable and important days in our customers’ lives - and that’s truly amazing and incredibly gratifying.”

MYOB CEO Tim Reed praised Easy Weddings for its achievement in winning the MYOB Small Business Award. “Easy Weddings demonstrates the spirit and passion of the Victorian business community and this is wonderful recognition of all the hard work they have put into running their business.

“At MYOB we’re for those who dreamed of running their own business, and were bold enough to go out on a limb and do it. We’ve been inspired by the drive and determination of all business owners, including Easy Weddings, and the contribution they make to their communities,” Mr Reed said.

Other Victorian winners included fruit juice producer PRESHAFOOD LTD of Derrimut, social entrepreneur m.a.d woman – making a difference of Rosanna and Alexandra-based wagyu beef producer Blackmore Holdings Pty Ltd.

The winners of the 2011 Telstra Victorian Business Awards are:

Telstra Victorian Business of the Year
Easy Weddings Mulgrave

Business Owner Micro-Business Award
The Wall Sticker Company Oakleigh South
Established by Fiona Gathercole and Jenny Menz, the business has grown its sales 20-fold in five years, releasing new polyester stickers each month, often using guest designers.

MYOB Small Business Award
Easy Weddings Mulgrave

Panasonic Australia Medium Business Award
PRESHAFOOD LTD Derrimut
Founded in 2006, it makes the only 100 per cent Australia fruit juice that is preserved using cold high-pressure processing (HPP), winning international awards for its quality.

AMP Innovation Award
BikeExchange.com.au Collingwood
Jason Wyatt and Sam Salter provide 400 cycling retailers with a powerful and low-cost online shopfront to present bicycles and accessories to around 440,000 visitors a month.

Yellow Pages Social Responsibility Award
m.a.d. woman – making a difference Rosanna
Created in 2007 by Melina Schamroth, the business builds singles and volunteer events around community service projects such as disaster relief or cooking for homeless people.

Telstra Regional Business Award
Blackmore Holdings Pty Ltd Alexandra
A family-owned farm, which pioneered the production of fullblood Wagyu beef in Australia, exports to 11 countries and its cuts are served in some of the world’s most elite restaurants.

The BlackBerry® People’s Choice Award
Broo Sorrento
Kent Grogan is the owner of Broo, a 100 per cent Australian owned beer company. The business sells Broo Premium Lager and is due to release a mid-strength product in 2011.

The BlackBerry People’s Choice Award –decided by a public vote – and the Tasmanian Regional Business Award were new accolades in 2011.

Adele Beachley, Research In Motion (BlackBerry) Managing Director for Australia & NZ, said: “At BlackBerry, we thrive on innovation and collaboration and we’ve been inspired by the level of service, values and strength of business that Broo has demonstrated.”

The winners of the Victorian Business Awards will be judged against category winners from other states and territories in the lead up to the national Telstra Business Awards to be announced in Melbourne on 26 August. Winners of the 2011 Awards receive a share of $500,000 in cash and prizes and become part of an exclusive national business alumni.