14 small businesses from Vancouver Island announced as semi-finalists for Small Business BC Awards

BRITISH COLUMBIA, Dec. 19, 2014 /CNW/ - The Top 10 semi-finalists have now been selected for the 12th Annual Small Business BC Awards, and 12 of them are from Vancouver Island, including businesses in Campbell River, Courtenay, Duncan, Ladysmith, Nanaimo, Port Alberni and Victoria.

The Small Business BC Awards acknowledge the contribution that over 400,000 small business owners and entrepreneurs in the province make to their local communities and the global economy.

From October 1 to November 30, British Columbians were asked to nominate and vote for their favourite small businesses. Over 460 nominations were received, from over 70 communities across the province, including 36 nominations from Vancouver Island.

Nominated companies were given two months to gain as many votes as possible through word-of-mouth, social media, e-communications and other creative means. Those who activated their communities and received the most votes have been named the Top 10 semi-finalists.

The semi-finalists from Vancouver Island include:

BEST COMMMUNITY IMPACT	BEST COMPANY
· Coast Salish Development Corp., Ladysmith	· Alitis Investment Counsel, Campbell River
	· Rise Adventure & Wellness Solutions, Victoria
BEST CONCEPT
· Flytographer, Victoria	BEST EMERGING ENTREPRENEUR
· RaceRocks 3D, Victoria	. Iron Oxide Art Supplies, Nanaimo
· Rise Adventure & Wellness Solutions, Victoria	· MyAlberni App, Port Alberni
· Swept Away Inn, Port Alberni	. Original Gluten-Free Bakery Ltd., Victoria
BEST IMMIGRANT ENTREPRENEUR	BEST EMPLOYER
· Nanaimo & Voyager Magazine, Nanaimo	· Swept Away Inn, Victoria
PREMIER'S PEOPLE'S CHOICE	BEST INTERNATIONAL TRADE
· Industry Hair & Body Care, Campbell River	· Averill Creek Vineyard, Duncan
· On Top Fashion, Port Alberni	· Manatee Holdings Ltd., Courtenay

These extraordinary small businesses will now move forward to face a panel of judges, who will review their applications, and based on the award criteria, narrow down the competition to the Top 5 finalists in each category.

The Top 5 finalists in these categories will be announced on January 30, 2015, and invited to give a Dragons' Den-style pitch on why they should be named the best in BC.

The winners will be honoured and celebrated on February 26, 2015 at the Small Business BC Awards Ceremony in Vancouver. The night will include messages from Premier Christy Clark and the Honourable Minister Naomi Yamamoto, among others.

More information on the semi-finalists and the Small Business BC Awards can be found at www.sbbcawards.ca

Quick Facts

• Over 3,000 entrepreneurs have participated in the awards competition since its inception.
• This year, Small Business BC introduced two new award categories - Best Emerging Entrepreneur and Best Immigrant Entrepreneur.
• Premier Christy Clark and the BC Government are supporting the awards for the second year through the Premier's People's Choice Award, and the Premier's Prize of $1,500 cash given to each of the award category winners.

Quotes

"This year we saw a tremendous amount of participation in the Small Business BC Awards from across the province. It's fantastic to see some of the many small businesses from Vancouver Island nominated and recognized, not only for their success, but also for the positive impact they're having on their local communities and the global economy. It's going to be a tough job selecting the winners, but we're very excited to see who comes out on top." - George Hunter, CEO, Small Business BC

"The substantial growth in participation in the 2015 Small Business BC Awards is a clear indicator of the significant impact small business has here in British Columbia. IBC wishes the finalists continued success in the next round of competition and extends its thanks to all small businesses for the huge contribution they continue to make to both the economy and our communities." - Bill Adams, VP, Western and Pacific, Insurance Bureau of Canada

About Small Business BC
Small Business BC provides entrepreneurs with the information and guidance necessary to build a solid foundation for their business. Through a wide range of products, services, education and resources there's a piece that fits with every business. No matter what stage or what skill level, when an entrepreneur finds themselves asking "How do I…?" Small Business BC is the one to call. To view press releases and other information, visit Small Business BC's website at www.smallbusinessbc.ca. Follow SBBC on Twitter @smallbusinessbc or like us on Facebook.

About Insurance Bureau of Canada
Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is pleased to celebrate 50 years as a valuable resource for insurance information. Since 1964, IBC has been working with governments across Canada to make our communities safer, championing issues that directly affect Canadians and the property and casualty (P&C) insurance industry. IBC is the national industry association representing Canada's private home, car and business insurers. Its member companies represent 90% of the P&C insurance market in Canada. The private P&C insurance industry employs over 118,600 Canadians, pays more than $7 billion in taxes and levies to the federal, provincial and municipal governments, and has a total premium base of $48 billion.

SOURCE: Insurance Bureau of Canada

Media Contact: Mark Blendheim, Communications Manager, Small Business BC, Direct: 604-775-5607, Cell: 604-339-4759, [email protected]