The 702 Small Business Awards with Softline Pastel have been won by Jenneth’s Hair and Beauty Studio.
The winners were announced at an event on 11 September at the Michelangelo Hotel in Sandton. The awards are based on outstanding service and call for listeners to nominate small businesses they have dealt with that go the extra mile.
SMEs create jobs
Clem Sunter addressed the 30 finalists and stressed the critical role that entrepreneurs such as themselves play in South Africa’s growth and development. “In the current business environment, big business is not able to grow and provide jobs in the way that small businesses can,” he said.
Passion is key to success
Steven Cohen, MD of Softline Pastel, was equally enthusiastic about the finalists’ contribution to the country. “All of the small businesses that were profiled this year prove that if you are passionate about something, you can make money from it,” said Cohen.
A winning formula
The judges were impressed by Jenneth Ntanwisi’s sheer passion for her business, Jenneth’s Hair and Beauty Studio.
“Her strength of personality has been the driving force behind the growth and the success of her hair salon,” said 702 presenter John Robbie, who announced the winners at the ceremony.
“She has cultivated an extremely loyal customer base over the years that has encouraged and supported her in the development and the expansion of her hair salon, which has in turn enabled her to employ new staff and nurture their loyalty.”
The judges were also very impressed about the potential growth plans and prospects for the business.
Runners up also announced
The two runners up in this year’s awards were Shop and Ship, an online tech store and Atlantic Pools and Ponds, which offers pool and pond installations and repairs.
The prizes
The winner and two runners up were rewarded with airtime packages to advertise on Talk Radio 702 as well as laptops loaded with Softline Pastel Accounting, Payroll, HR and other business software in addition to software training and support.