Source:
https://scmp.com/business/companies/article/1804191/hk-small-business-awards-enter-their-second-year
Business/ Companies

HK small business awards enter their second year

Ray Chan
Ray Chan

Updated: 3:47pm, 5 Dec, 2019

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(Front row, from left) Federation of International SMEs president Gary Lo; founding president of the Hong Kong Greater China SME Alliance Association Jimmy Wan; DHL Express Hong Kong vice-president commercial Ecila Chan; Hong Kong Trade Development Council deputy executive director Raymond Yip; SCMP chief operating officer Elsie Cheung; Hong Kong (SME) Economic and Trade Promotional Association vice-president Francis Lee; (back row, from left) HKGCC SME committee chairman William Wong; Hong Kong Small and Medium Enterprises General Association vice-chairman Albert Lau; Hong Kong SME Development Federation president Edward Lam; SME Global Alliance president Jefferson Wat; Hong Kong SME Economic and Trade Promotional Association committee member Peter Leung; Hong Kong Small and Medium Enterprises General Association general manager Pion Lam; and Hong Kong Promotion Association for SMEs committee member Li Yat-chuen, at the SCMP Enterprising Awards luncheon in Wan Chai. Photo: Bruce Yan

Hong Kong's small companies and start-ups are encouraged to participate in a business award unveiled on Tuesday by the South China Morning Post.

Entering their second year, the Enterprising Hong Kong Awards, sponsored by DHL Express Hong Kong, will recognise the outstanding achievements of small and medium-sized enterprises and start-ups in the city.

Speaking at a lunch meeting in Wan Chai, Elsie Cheung, SCMP Group's chief operating officer, said the awards would cultivate the culture of recognising the city's small companies and start-ups for their remarkable achievements while maintaining sound corporate governance.

Raymond Yip, a deputy executive director of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, said the South China Morning Post is one of Hong Kong's most trusted sources of information for foreigners looking for independent and professional news coverage.

"The awards mean a lot to the small and medium-sized enterprises, especially since they are being given by a well-respected news organisation," said Yip.

Hong Kong categorises SMEs as manufacturers with fewer than 100 staff members and services firms with fewer than 50 employees. Most of those enterprises in the city are in the import-export, wholesale and retailing businesses.

Small and medium-sized enterprises are vital to the city's economy. About 320,000 small businesses were operating in Hong Kong as of December, according to government statistics, supporting about 1.3 million jobs - or about 47 per cent of total employment excluding civil service.

Yip will join an expanded judging panel this year. It comprises DHL Express Hong Kong's Ecila Chan, SCMP business editor Nick Edwards, Platinum Group managing director Liu Chee Ming, DBS Bank (Hong Kong) institutional banking group managing director Alex Cheung, Hong Kong Polytechnic University vice-president Angelina Yuen, Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce SME committee chairman Cliff Chan and Hong Kong Productivity Council director of business management Gordon Lo.

The SCMP has engaged 11 SME associations in Hong Kong and expects to receive 50 to 70 nominations from the industry groups.

Apart from print coverage, the SCMP will market the event and the participants through its online and social media platforms, as well as its Chinese-language platforms.

Public nomination will begin in early June and continue through July.

The finalists will be announced in mid-September and the awards will be presented at a gala dinner on October 15 attended by more than 250 guests.

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