Fifteen Vancouver small businesses announced as top 5 finalists for Small Business BC Awards

VANCOUVER, Feb. 12, 2015 /CNW/ - The Top 5 finalists have now been selected for the 12^th Annual Small Business BC Awards in each of the 10 award categories, and 15 very special companies are from Vancouver.

The Small Business BC Awards is a province-wide competition where British Columbia's entrepreneurs and small business owners compete to have their company named one of BC's best businesses.

This year was the biggest year yet for the competition with over 460 nominations received from 70 communities across the province, including 168 nominations from Vancouver.

The Top 5 finalists from Vancouver include:

• 6S Marketing – Best Employer
• AdvisorWebsites.com – Best Workplace
• All Inclusive Marketing – Best Online Marketer
• CCN – Best Workplace
• Doi Chaang Coffee Company – Best International Trade
• eeko Couriers – Best Community Impact
• Fully Managed – Best Company
• Hungry For Happiness – Best Emerging Entrepreneur
• Mealshare – Best Community Impact
• Plenty and Spare Naturals – Best Emerging Entrepreneur
• Polar Feet – Best International Trade
• Sole Girls – Best Community Impact
• Spark Creations – Best Community Impact
• Vonbon Children's Apparel – Best Online Marketer
• Your Score Booster – Best Immigrant Entrepreneur

Over the next two weeks, finalists in nine of the categories will present a Dragons' Den-style pitch to a panel of judges to convince them why they should be named a BC best business. Premier's People's Choice is the only award category based purely on votes.

Winners will be announced on February 26, 2015 at the Small Business BC Awards Ceremony at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Vancouver, where 500 small business owners, government representatives and other key business influencers will enjoy an evening that recognizes the amazing entrepreneurs in the province.

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

Quick Facts

• Premier Christy Clark and the Honourable Naomi Yamamoto, Minister of State for Tourism and Small Business will deliver special messages at the 2014-15 Small Business BC Awards Ceremony.
• The winners of the first-ever Best Emerging Entrepreneur Award and Best Immigrant Entrepreneur Award will also be announced at this year's ceremony.
• Over 3,000 entrepreneurs have participated in the SBBC Awards competition since its inception.

Quotes

"Small Business BC is proud to acknowledge the exceptionally talented, creative and passionate entrepreneurs in our province. The SBBC Awards provide a platform to showcase the impact that small businesses are having on their communities and the contributions they're making to the economy and to celebrate the dedicated entrepreneurs who built them." – George Hunter, CEO, Small Business BC

"On behalf of IBC, I want to congratulate the hard-working, resourceful and skilled candidates in each category and wish them all the best in the final rounds. Thank you all for your dedicated efforts to better our communities and province. As small businesses are an integral part of British Columbia's economy, we are pleased to return as title sponsor of the Small Business BC Awards for the sixth consecutive year." – 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.

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]