Ask any small business owner about the most difficult aspect of running a business and you’ll most likely get an array of answers. However, one thing in common that most discover when venturing down the path of business ownership is trying to cope with the never-ending task of balancing business expenses and managing the cash flow. Just as you get your head above water and take a few deep breaths, along comes another unexpected expense!
Starting off as a small business themselves back in 2008, BizCover, an online insurance service for small businesses, knows all too well the lengths that a small business needs to go to in order to stay afloat, let alone the extra effort and expense it takes to grow a business and take it to the next level. So they set out to be the fairy godmother for the world of small business. But instead of turning a pumpkin into a carriage, they’ve been granting wishes of small businesses around Australia since 2014 with their BizGiver Grant, which aims to give back to the small business community who have helped fuel their business.
About BizGiver
Each quarter the BizGiver program grants the wish of one small business owner by providing them with a good or a service that will help them spark a new revenue stream or just to make life a little easier. The $2,000 grant aims to remove some of the simple barriers to growth that business owners face every day. Since its launch they’ve given away over $40,000 in prizes, which include SEO packages, website design services, advertising, iPads, hardware and equipment, and training courses. They’ve even granted a coffee machine for one lucky small business! As long as the wish can be invoiced it’s eligible.
Any small business owner or employee can make a wish for their business, and they need not be a policy holder with BizCover’s insurance service.
“So much of BizCover’s success is due to the small business community, who have embraced our services over more traditional methods of buying insurance,” said BizCover Founder and Managing Director, Michael Gottlieb. “This program is just one way we aim to give back to that community, to thank them for their support and for sharing in BizCover’s vision.”
“It makes a huge difference winning this prize. I can now purchase much needed tools and free up money for other business costs”
Previous BizGiver Winner – Sapphire Coast Mobile Mechanic
How does it work?
To enter your small business to be in the running, simply visit the BizGiver page, enter your details and make your wish by telling them in 200 words or less what item or service would help take your business to the next level and why you deserve to win.
At the end of each entry period BizCiver will select the finalists, and from there the winner will be determined by public voting via the BizCover Facebook page. You can enter as many times as you desire, providing your meet the entry criteria outlined below.
- You must be a small business – this means 20 employees or less, even if you’re a one-man band.
- Have a valid ABN – to validate that you are an actual business.
- Wish for an item or service – your wish must be for a tangible product or a service, up to the value of $2,000, which will help your business. You cannot wish for cash.
From start-ups to more established companies, BizCover has to date helped over 30 different small business owners from all sorts of industries and occupations, including florists, fitness trainers, pet care services, a distillery, and an art gallery specialising in contemporary indigenous Australian art. Read here about present and past BizGiver winners, and how winning the BizGiver grant has helped make life a little easier for them.
