Small businesses step into limelight at StartupSmart awards

SMEs in the printing industry could take out $10,000 worth of prizes in this year’s StartupSmart Awards.

The StartupSmart Awards 2011 categories include Fastest-growing Start-up, Best Start-up product, Best Young Entrepreneur and Best Start-up Idea. Prizes include mentoring from some of Australia’s most successful business leaders, business plan analysis and up to  $10,000 worth of advertising from First Digital.

“The StartupSmart Awards offers some of the most desirable prizes in the country for Australian owned start-ups and we want to recognise those business operators out there, often working on their own or in very small teams, who are powering along growing their businesses, often with little or no recognition,” said StartupSmart and SmartCompany founder Amanda Gome.

Last year, online print business, Ready Steady Print came in at number 35. “It was great recognition,” said owner, Joshua Kamil, (pictured) who plans on entering again this year.

At only 25 years old, Kamil is proof of what can be achieved, reporting 60 per cent growth for the current financial year. “Printing probably is a much older industry, but sooner or later young ones have to step up and get involved,” he said.

Last year, StartupSmart listed image processing and printing services in the five start-ups to avoid in 2011. Kamil, who started the business in 2006, believes that print still plays an important part in the marketing spend for consumer and corporations alike.

“There is still plenty of money being spent on print, but I think they are starting to spend it a bit smarter which is maybe why we are having this growth,” he said.

Entries for the StartupSmart Awards close February 28, 2011. To enter, click here.