Armidale-based human resources business Pinnacle People Solutions has taken out the 2024 Australian Small Business Champion Awards in the category of Business Consultancy.
The boutique firm, which has been providing HR consultancy and recruitment services throughout the New England region for the last 11 years is celebrating the win after entering the category for the third year in a row.
Courtney Nixon, HR and Projects Officer for Pinnacle, said, “We’re very proud to have won this award, we enter a lot of industry-specific awards as well but this is at such a high professional level and is nationwide so it’s a great honour.”
Ms Nixon, who manages all of Pinnacle’s award submissions, and her colleague Jacqui Newman who is the HR Lead for Pinnacle, attended the awards ceremony which was held on Friday 12 April at the Star Casino in Sydney.
The event has earned itself a reputation of being the ‘Oscars of Small Business’.
Entries to the Australian Small Business Champion Awards are by self-nomination and feature 110 separate small business categories, as well as awards for Business Growth, Business of the Decade, Small Business Champion Entrepreneur and Young Small Business Champion Entrepreneur.
The awards have been running since 1999, originally as a NSW-only event, before expanding to national entries in 2007.
Award entry is open to all small businesses nationwide within the retail, service or manufacturing industries, with retail and service businesses required to have less than 40 employees, and manufacturing under 100 employees.
When asked what she thought gave Pinnacle the edge this year over the previous year’s application, Ms Nixon said, “Honestly it’s hard to pinpoint one thing but I think it’s a reflection of the fact that we have kept pushing forward and continuing to expand while also keeping incredibly high professional standards.”
“It’s really important for us as a company to keep putting ourselves forward to be judged like this because the application process always gives us a great opportunity to take a moment to reflect and benchmark on the work we’ve undertaken over the last 12 months.”
Pinnacle People Solutions currently employs a total of seven people who are based all around the New England Region. The company provides a full suite of HR services, from recruitment through to payroll, workforce planning and relations, WHS and injury management and compliance and risk assessment.
They also offer bespoke coaching programs which can be delivered to best suit to individual career goals and desired learning targets.
“We started in Armidale back when it was just our founder, Bronwyn Pearson, and her laptop,” said Ms Nixon.
“We’ve now got team members working across the New England area.”
“Our main focus is on Gunnedah, Tamworth and Armidale with a specific interest in small to medium-sized businesses, but we also have clients throughout the state and nationally.”
“Our biggest passion is to provide the education that smaller businesses need to navigate the increasingly complicated world of HR – we absolutely love helping local businesses thrive.”
CEO of Pinnacle People Solutions, Bronwyn Pearson said she started the service out of a passion for regional businesses and their growth.
“My journey into business was driven by a passion for supporting owners and managers of businesses in regional Australia, starting with New England, with all things ‘people’,” said Ms Pearson.
“Pinnacle People Solutions specialises in regional businesses, leveraging over 30 years of experience to support the long-term sustainability and growth of regional communities through expert, fit-for-purpose HR advice and resources.”
“Winning the Australian Small Business Championship awards for Business Consultancy is such an honour, it showcases our commitment to providing tailored, strategic, and professional HR and WHS solutions and the sensational team that is PPS,” Ms Pearson said.
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