Leather goods manufacturer Research Unit has beaten stiff competition from 30 finalists to win the Cape Talk 567 Small Business Awards with Sage One, powered by Sage Pastel and Sage VIP.
The runner-ups are confectionery maker Sweet Temptations Toffees and upmarket holiday home rental specialist Perfect Hideaways.
The Awards aim to recognise and celebrate small businesses that offer exceptional service, and provide them with the necessary exposure to help them grow, and inspire other entrepreneurs to follow in their footsteps. The Awards are sponsored by Sage One – simple, secure and affordable online accounting and payroll for small, growing businesses.
Run by a husband and wife team, Research Unit designs and makes quality leather goods from its own studio in Cape Town. Since its humble beginnings in 2011, it has focused its energy on building a leather goods brand that is recognised as an example of quality, innovation, minimalism and elegance.
“This year’s entries are a clear reflection of the diversity and strength of the small business sector in Cape Town. With their willingness to go the extra mile, their obsession with quality, and their innovative use of materials and processes, Research Unit really stands out as a great small business,” says Ivan Epstein, co-founder of Softline and CEO of Sage AAMEA (Australia, Asia, Middle East and Africa).
“Our winner and our two runner-ups illustrate just how much potential there is in South Africa for small businesses that dream big and execute well. Congratulations to them.”
“It’s exciting to be named as the winner of the Cape Talk Small Business Awards for 2014,” says Owners, Chad and Erin-Lee Petersen at Research Unit. “We pride ourselves on excellent customer service because we believe that the customer experience continues long after their purchases have been made. Winning this Award will inspire us to do even better in the future.”
Courtesy of Sage One, Research Unit wins a laptop with free access to Sage One Accounting and Sage One Payroll software, including one year’s worth of software support, and a training course or seminar of their choice, giving them the freedom they need to run their business anywhere, anytime.
The company also receives an airtime package to the value of R250 000 on Cape Talk and one month’s advertising exposure on the Google Display Network to the value of R25 000 will also be awarded to the winners to further promote their businesses.
Runner-up Sweet Temptations and Perfect Hideaways will each receive Sage One Accounting and Sage One Payroll software, including a year’s worth of software support. They will also receive a free training course or seminar of their choice as well as an airtime package to the value of R150 000 on Cape Talk.
