Michael Bishop and his Alchemy Cordial Company team are Queensland finalists in the MYOB Small Business category of the Telstra Small Business Awards.
The team at Fast Office Furniture ( from left) Vanessa Zeeman, Clive Bruce and Matt Munro is one of six finalists in the HTC Start-Up category. Photos by Melissa Gibson
Two Redland businesses have been named as finalists in the 2012 Telstra Small Business Awards.
Cleveland-based Alchemy Cordial Company is one of six finalists for the MYOB Small Business category (five to 20 employees), and Redland Bay-based Fast Office Furniture is one of six finalists in the HTC Start-Up category.
Alchemy Cordial Company founder Michael Bishop said to be a finalist in such a large and competitive category was a great thrill .
"We have been finalists in the awards previously, but we were a much smaller business then in the micro business category," Michael said.
Alchemy started at the Cleveland markets in 1997, and has grown to 16 staff. It trades nationally and internationally.
The company manufactures under its own Alchemy brand, and also contract manufactures syrups for major brands such as The Coffee Club, Merlo Coffee, Sara Lee and Grinders Coffee.
"The key to our success has been to focus on an inch wide, mile deep niche," Michael said.
"The Telstra judges look for structure, systems and process as much as the passion when making their decision, and the company now has a great balance of both, thanks to third partner Malcom Lack, who is the general manager at Alchemy."
Fast Office Furniture is an online office company, whose nomination comes after just 14 months of trading.
"We are absolutely thrilled at this achievement," Vanessa Zeeman, a company director said.
The company has capitalised on a rapidly moving business environment where companies no longer have the time to hand-pick office furniture from a showroom.
The Redland Bay online business supplies quality products in a range of standard colours and sizes to a host of clients throughout Australia and internationally.
Managing director Clive Bruce said the company prided itself on delivering and assembling furniture within three to five days.
"There is a focus on quality, coupled with outstanding after-sales service," clive said.
"To ensure customers' needs are met, the business has employed a highly trained internal sales consultant," he said.
The company has a strong Google presence and has targeted mining hotspots such as Moranbah and Gladstone.
As such, they have won a number of large contracts from mining companies.
The company's new website, complete with a comprehensive shopping cart feature, was launched this year.
The Queensland winners of the Telstra Small Business Awards will be announced on July 10.