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Welcome

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Entries for Regional Online Heroes 2017 are now closed.
Click here to find out more and see pics from the 2017 Masterclass! 

Find Out More!

The competition

All around Australia, business owners are working hard to grow their business and, increasingly, they’re turning to the internet to do it. The Regional Australia Institute and Google are on the hunt for those businesses.

We’re looking for Australia’s top ten Regional Online Heroes to fly to Google’s HQ in Sydney for a unique, money-can’t-buy masterclass – with the flights and accommodation on us! Because when regional businesses grow, it’s not just good for them: it creates jobs, prosperity and thriving local communities.

Any regional small or medium business* that uses the internet to grow is eligible.

Being a Regional Online Hero could mean anything from using online marketing to attract new customers, expanding a traditional bricks and mortar store to selling online, or managing a team across borders using online productivity tools.

*While there are many great businesses in capital cities, in this case, we’re looking for businesses in regional Australia with less than 200 employees. You can check your eligibility via the terms and conditions.

ENTER HERE

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MEET THE JUDGES

  • Jane Cay, Founder of Birdsnest

    Jane Cay, Founder of Birdsnest

    Birdsnest is an online fashion business based in Cooma NSW, population 6,500. The Birdsnest story should give hope to many small, independent businesses out there trying adapt to this new global and technology led world. What started out as a successful bricks and mortar clothing store servicing a country town has become one of Australia’s most respected online stores, employing over 120 locals. Jane has won accolades for her entrepreneurial skills, most recently placing 8th in the Australian BRW’s Best Places to Work Study and 11th in Asia for their company size. Birdsnest has been a finalist in the Australian Online Retail Industry Award for Best Customer Experience for six years running, winning in 2013, 2015 and 2016. The best bit is she gets to live in the slow lane, and work in the fast lane. Her home, where she lives with her farmer husband and three young children, is a 130km round trip for a litre of milk!
  • The Hon Michael McCormack MP, Minister for Small Business

    The Hon Michael McCormack MP, Minister for Small Business

    Born and raised on family farms at Marrar and Brucedale in the Riverina, Michael McCormack was educated in Wagga Wagga and went on to a 21-year career at Wagga Wagga’s The Daily Advertiser. Aged 27, Mr McCormack became the newspaper’s Editor, the youngest person to be appointed to such a role at a daily newspaper in the Australasia at the time. Following an 11 year career at the helm of the Advertiser, Mr McCormack then co-founded a media and publishing small business in Wagga Wagga, which he owned and operated in partnership until he was elected to Parliament. The successful business went on to encourage expansion and growth of a Wagga Wagga printing firm, including additional staff and a new printing press, to keep up with the business’ work. Mr McCormack will work with the Small Business sector on regulatory reform, as well as championing the success stories of Australia’s 3.2 million small businesses and the more than 5.5 million Australians which they employ.
  • Jack Archer, CEO of Regional Australia Institute

    Jack Archer, CEO of Regional Australia Institute

    Jack Archer has been with the Regional Australia Institute (RAI) since its inception in 2012, and developed the RAI’s policy and research program including major products such as [In]Sight: Australia’s Regional Competitiveness Index and [In]Form: Australia’s Online Library of Regional Research. Jack took up the role as Chief Executive Officer on 1 July 2015. In previous roles as a consultant and public servant, Jack contributed to major regional reforms in water, climate change, indigenous issues and industry. Jack holds a Bachelor of Natural Resource Management (Hons 1) from the University of New England and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Originally from Paterson in the lower Hunter Valley of NSW, he now lives in the hills west of Canberra.
  • John Ball, Managing Director of Google Marketing Solutions, Google Australia

    John Ball, Managing Director of Google Marketing Solutions, Google Australia

    John joined Google in November 2014 to lead the Australian and New Zealand Google Marketing Solutions team, with a focus on helping AUNZ businesses grow and compete on the global stage. Prior to joining Google, John worked for Microsoft for 18 years. During this time he held sales leadership positions in Australia, China, Singapore and the US, where he spent 13 years working with SMB organisations. Before joining Microsoft John gained 16 years’ experience in the IT industry in Australia, in various roles from custom application development, consulting and sales and marketing of ERP and CRM solutions. John received his MBA and his Bachelors in Applied Science from the University of Technology Sydney.
  • Dr Sandra R. Phillips, Leading Indigenous Scholar, Creative Industries Faculty, School of Communications, Queensland University of Technology

    Dr Sandra R. Phillips, Leading Indigenous Scholar, Creative Industries Faculty, School of Communications, Queensland University of Technology

    Raised in Gayndah on the land of her Wakka Wakka ancestors, Dr Sandra R. Phillips is a former publisher turned academic and researcher. Now fulltime with QUT Creative Industries, Sandra lectures in communication studies and Indigenous Knowledge, and is an affiliated researcher with the QUT Digital Media Research Centre. Sandra’s particular research and industry interests are in Indigenous storytelling, its audiences, and its communities of practice. Sandra has held many leadership roles including current roles as elected Chairperson of the First Nations Australia Writers Network Incorporated (FNAWN) and appointed Director of the Library Board of Queensland. Image by Connor Tomas O’Brien connortomas.com
  • David Koch, Television Presenter, Kochie’s Business Builders on Channel 7

    David Koch, Television Presenter, Kochie’s Business Builders on Channel 7

    David Koch (affectionately known by the Australian public as “Kochie”), is the co-host of Channel Seven’s morning show ‘Sunrise’. He is also the host of ‘Kochie’s Business Builders’ which is owned and produced by his own company Pinstripe Media. David is one of Australia’s foremost business and finance commentators. His finance columns include writing for New Idea magazine, The Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun, Courier Mail, Adelaide Advertiser and the Hobart Mercury. David regularly addresses a wide range of corporate events and groups. His specialty is speaking on success in small business and investment issues as well as providing practical tips. David speaks informatively from a base of personal experience and in depth knowledge of business and financial issues. David is a patron of Youth of the Streets with his wife Libby, they are very passionate about giving back to the community and helping the youth of today. A survey conducted by ‘Money Management’ newspaper recognised David as one of the 10 most influential people in establishing the retail financial services industry. A Reader’s Digest survey found he is also one of the top 25 ‘Most Trusted People in Australia’. David has published numerous bestselling books on finance as well as his hugely successful ‘Kochie’s Best Jokes’ books. He was named Father of the Year in 2007. Combining his passion for AFL and business credentials, David was appointed Chairman of the Port Adelaide Football Club in 2012 and has since dramatically transformed their membership base, profitability and ability to get points on the board.

Meet the 2017 winners

Meet the 2016 winners

Meet the 2015 winners

 

Testimonials

  • Alison Shaw, Tambo Teddies
    The day at Google was amazing! The one-on-one session was excellent and I had several ‘take-homes’… that we have gone on to implement. Being the inaugural winner was an amazing experience- we never really expected that a small business in such a tiny Outback town (of only 380 people) could win and it was wonderful to be recognised and to participate in the masterclass, meet the other finalists, judges and the Google and RAI representatives.

  • Mae Connelly, Farmanco
    We’d like to thank the Regional Australia Institute and Google for the great opportunity that the competition gave us. It has given our small business some great ideas and the impetus to grow by increasing revenue via the internet.

  • Linda Nadge, Outback Astronomy
    In November 2015 we operated out of a shipping container. I returned to Broken Hill [after the Masterclass]… and we were very clear about buying our own land and building for the business. We came back with clarity and a no-nonsense focus on where the business was going. The clarity and robust approach to our business change and growth culminated recently with a gold award at the NSW Regional Tourism Awards 2016.

  • Rebel Black, The Rural Woman
    The highlight [of the 2015 Regional Online Heroes competition] was the recognition of our work in the online space and then of course the opportunity to have one of our team members be so wonderfully treated to the Google HQ Experience. It gave us a great deal of confidence in our direction and some excellent tools and leanings…Our business has doubled in the 12 months since the competition and that growth has been completely from our online presence.

  • Simone Dudley and Sue Cameron, Therapy Connect
    Our business is experiencing strong growth through use of the internet. This last quarter financial year (April /June 2016) we achieved over 300% growth in occasions of service compared to the quarter (July/Sept 2015) last year…You could definitely say we have employed new strategies as a result of our involvement in the Google Masterclass and the benefits are paying off.

  • Michelle Evans, 4 Ingredients
    Since our visit to Google we have been able to confidently navigate our way online and increase our international following, sales and leverage from new markets. Personally I’ve been able to further my online learning/understanding and share that within our community across local business networks and at the Innovation Centre Sunshine Coast.

CONTACT US

 (02) 6260 3733 

[email protected]

Level 2, 53 Blackall Street, Barton, ACT 2600

 

The organisers