HAVING created plenty of buzz with her sustainable food wraps, Maryjane Gibbs, Albany, was awarded the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS) Best New Business award last month.
More than 50 NEIS members gathered in Sydney with guests including trainers, mentors and administrative staff from NEIS providers, coupled with representatives from the Department of Jobs and Small Business.
The awards night recognised people who have excelled in their small business which started with assistance from the NEIS program.
Prior to setting her flourishing business Waxiwraps, Ms Gibbs underwent a NEIS training course through Business Foundations, Fremantle, which put her on the path for success.
A passion for sustainability and minimising plastic waste inspired Ms Gibbs to venture out on her own and launch Waxiwraps two years ago.
Waxiwraps is a plastic alternative food wrap that is made entirely from natural ingredients, including locally sourced beeswax, and after about one year of usage, are completely compostable.
Being preoccupied with keeping up with orders as it is Waxiwraps’ busiest time of year, Ms Gibbs said she was blown away to be nominated for the award by Business Foundations, Fremantle and then to find out she was in the top three.
Ms Gibbs took a short time out from the business to journey to Sydney for the awards night where the keynote speaker and National Jobs and Industrial Relations Minister Kelly O’Dwyer presented her with the award.
“It was all a whirlwind as I couldn’t leave the workshop for long as we are in the busiest time of year,” Ms Gibbs said.
During her acceptance speech, Ms Gibbs vouched for other small business owners and encouraged them to be persistent with their dream as she had been.
“I talked about how fortunate I am to get up in the morning and do something (that) I have created myself, (and) that Waxiwraps has provided employment for others as well,” she said.
“Anyone with a good business idea can have a go and potentially succeed once the viability of the idea has been tested and a business plan has been put in place.”
Lately operations have been in full swing for the Albany-based business.
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“We are currently in the middle of the busiest month of the year, it’s our own ‘harvest’ time where we attend lots of events as people are looking for Christmas gifts,” Ms Gibbs said.
Waxiwraps are available for purchase at various outlets (information at waxiwraps.com.au), as well as online, and Ms Gibbs said stockists have been taking larger orders at this time of year, meaning the Waxiwraps team has quite literally been buzzing around the workshop to meet demand.
Waxiwraps spent last weekend connecting with Albany locals at the town’s agricultural show, and this weekend the team will be attending the Margaret River Gourmet Escape.
Then Ms Gibbs and her team will be at the Made Local Market at Stackwood, Fremantle, for what is expected to be the business’s busiest week of the year.
But it doesn’t wind down much after that as Waxiwraps will appear at Perth Upmarket at The University of WA as well as markets at Denmark.
