The Guyra and District Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club have combined to present the Pride of Workmanship Awards, for employers to honour great employees, and Business Awards, for the community to celebrate outstanding businesses.

The Rotary Club has presented Pride of Workmanship awards to outstanding employees every couple of years, but this is the first time the Club has combined with the Chamber of Commerce to celebrate businesses.

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“It’s a way for our community to recognise that Guyra is still a force to be reckoned with,” said Aileen MacDonald, President of the Chamber of Commerce. “We know that we’re part of Armidale Regional Council, but we still have our own community that we like and admire.”

The Pride of Workmanship Awards celebrate business excellence in the Guyra region, recognising and rewarding outstanding businesses and employees whose passion, determination, innovation, and success inspire other businesses and business people.

“Many are small businesses,” Ms MacDonald said, “and they don’t always have an employee of the month or some sort of recognition that they're doing a great job. 

“This is a way for the community to say: OK, you're only a small business, but you want to recognise great work, here's an opportunity to do that in a public space. Your employees can say: Hey, they do see what I do every day, and think that it's good!”

The Business Awards, Ms MacDonald said, give businesses an unparalled opportunity to be locally recognised, raise their profile, build a reputation for excellence, and boost staff morale.

Nominations can be submitted in five categories: Excellence in Small Business, Excellence in Innovation, Employer of Choice, Excellence in Business (more than 20 full-time equivalent including contractors), and Excellence in Sustainability.

All finalists and winners receive an official Business Awards FINALIST or WINNER logo which can be used on collateral, websites, business cards, and signage.

The winner in each category then goes on to regional and, ultimately, to state awards.

As well as showing Guyra’s pride in its community, the awards, Ms MacDonald hoped, would also boost the local economy.

“Our economy is slow at the moment, so we thought this will encourage and motivate businesses to keep going and do that extra effort that they always do, but know that they'll be recognised for their efforts.

“It's not just something that they do for the sake of it, but that the community of Guyra appreciate that they actually provide a service or a business in town, so that you don't have to go elsewhere for it.”

The awards will be presented at a gala evening on April 27.

If you wish to nominate a business, you can do so online at http://businessawards.com.au/login?chamber=guyra