A total of 28 small businesses and non-profits have won a share of the AU$690,000 global prize pool in the inaugural Xero Beautiful Business Fund.
Launched earlier this year, the Xero Beautiful Business Fund seeks to help Xero’s small-business customers boost their growth plans and drive future success. For the inaugural edition, more than 5500 applications were received from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, the United States and the United Kingdom.
“It’s been amazing to see firsthand the incredible work Australian small businesses are doing and what their future aspirations are,” Joseph Lyons, APAC Managing Director at Xero, stated. “They are having a remarkable impact on the wider community in diverse ways, and I am grateful for all of the applicants who took the time to tell their stories. Our local winners are extremely dedicated to tackling challenges head on and generating impact, and I’m very proud that we at Xero can help them on their business journey.”
From among the applications, four global winners will each receive a total of AU$70,000, while the remaining 24 winners will each receive AU$20,000 in funding. One of the global winners is We Care Connect, a charity and volunteer organisation from New South Wales. Also recognised as a winner the awards’ Strengthening Community Connections category, We Care Connect tackles childhood poverty in their local region by rehoming quality preloved children’s essentials with families who need them most, positively impacting the lives of around 30,000 families. The organisation stated it plans to use the prize to fund the purchase of critical items that are rarely donated, like newborn car seats, nappies, cot mattresses and more.
Three other Australian businesses were recognised in other categories. Suitcase Records, a Queensland-based, family-run state-of-the-art vinyl pressing plant, was recognised in the Innovating for Sustainability category for spearheading sustainable ways of manufacturing records. The company plans to use the prize to fund the import of a world-first vinyl record bio compound that will reduce the carbon output of pressing records by 92 per cent when compared to standard black PVC.
Natura Pacific, also from Queensland, was recognised in the Trailblazing with Technology category for its work in connecting communities with the natural world through regenerative agriculture. The company plans to use the prize to invest in an agricultural drone for their orchard spraying activities, which will reduce their organic spraying time twelvefold. They also plan to leverage their experience and knowledge with other farmers
Northern Territories-based Rattlepod Landscapes was recognised in the Upskilling for the Future category for its work in providing landscape design, construction services, and community projects to design arid appropriate landscapes to improve livability in central Australia. The business plans to use their prize to upskill its staff and set itself up for future success.
