Celebrating Local Business Heroes

We’ve given the stamp of approval to 100 small businesses, naming them our 2023 Local Business Heroes.

Small business, big impact

Local businesses are the backbone of Aussie communities. After receiving a record number of applications, we’ve selected 100 Local Business Heroes from around Australia and we can’t wait for you to meet them all.

Our 2023 Local Business Heroes each receive a Heroes Package valued at over $5,0001 to help them reach new customers and give their business a boost.

Meet some of our Heroes

All Shades Matter

Located in South Melbourne VIC, All Shades Matter is an inclusive beauty brand with a mission to offer affordable foundation products that cater to a broad range of skin tones. Co-founders Tali and Shaanti hope to have positive change on the movement towards more shade variety and diversity in the Australian beauty industry, saying “our advocacy is not confined to just our skin colour. All shades matter”.

Empire Copper

WA creatives Cam and Beth are the owners and operators of Empire Copper – selling a range of homewares, jewellery and gifts crafted from copper, brass and bronze. Their unique pieces are hand made in Empire Copper’s Perth studio, featuring the striking textures, colours and patinas of metalwork, and shipped to customers around the world.

Sardinha Cork

Located in Sydney, Sardinha Cork sells a range of handbags and accessories lovingly hand-made using cork fabric sourced from Portugal. Durable, sustainable and water-resistant, cork is a vegan-friendly alternative to leather and maker Eloi adds contemporary designs such as flora and fauna to his products. He says the Heroes Package gives him invaluable exposure to reach new audiences in his local community.

Pawsquad

A Boston Terrier named Muzic inspired Pink to create Pawsquad, an online destination for stylish pet essentials including harnesses, collars and bowls. For this Queensland-based small business owner, Pawsquad isn’t just a store – it's a community for all pet lovers. “Becoming a Hero is a validation of my love and passion for all things furry and four-legged".

Our 2023 Local Business Heroes

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1 Heroes Package terms and conditions (PDF 157kB) apply.