Some occasions are worth waiting for, and the 2021 City of Wanneroo Business Awards was certainly one of them!
After the cancellation of the 2020 awards due to COVID-19, it was wonderful to see more than 200 people come together to celebrate the achievements of businesses across Perth's northern suburbs.
And for Hot Lizard Designs, the evening turned out to be particularly special!
A Fantastic Night for Perth's Business Community
The Wanneroo Business Association certainly knows how to put on a celebration!
With over 200 guests, including the Mayor of Wanneroo, it was a fantastic opportunity to catch up with familiar faces, meet other local business owners and celebrate everything our business community has achieved.
The venue looked wonderful, the food was excellent, and there was a real sense of excitement in the room.
And once the formalities were over, the dance floor filled up pretty quickly. Clearly, the business owners of Wanneroo know how to work hard and have a good time too!
A Proud Moment for Hot Lizard Designs
I'm absolutely delighted to share that Hot Lizard Designs was named Runner-Up in the Best Business: Owner-Operator category, sponsored by PerthNow.
The award recognises outstanding achievement by individuals running owner-operated businesses, so to be recognised alongside so many talented and hardworking local business owners was a real honour.
When I established Hot Lizard Designs in 2013, I wanted to build a business that combined my experience in business management and marketing with my enthusiasm for website design.
I've always believed that getting to know the people behind a business is just as important as understanding what they want their website to do. No two businesses are the same, and that's one of the things I enjoy most about my work.
Being recognised for the business I've built, and the personal approach I've taken along the way, made this award particularly meaningful.
Kati from Hot Lizard Designs presented with Runner Up award by Dawn from Perth Now (Award Sponsors)
Why This Recognition Means So Much
Running your own business can be incredibly rewarding, but it also comes with its fair share of challenges. As an owner-operator, you're responsible for just about everything, from looking after clients and delivering projects to managing the day-to-day business decisions.
Having spent much of my career working in different businesses, industries and countries, I've always appreciated the importance of adaptability, good communication and building strong relationships. Those values have been at the heart of Hot Lizard Designs from the beginning.
I work directly with my clients, whether they're starting a new business, refreshing an established website or looking for a better way to present their services online.
My aim has always been to make the website design process straightforward, collaborative and enjoyable, while giving clients a website they're confident managing themselves. To receive recognition for an owner-operated business built around those principles is something I'm very proud of.
Celebrating Local Business Success
One of the best things about being involved with the Wanneroo Business Association is the people. Since joining in 2019, I've met some incredibly supportive business owners who are always willing to share their knowledge, exchange ideas and help one another.
The awards evening was a lovely reminder of just how much talent, determination and entrepreneurial spirit there is in Perth's northern suburbs.
A huge congratulations to all the finalists and winners, and thank you to the Wanneroo Business Association, the sponsors and everyone involved in organising such a memorable event.
And to everyone who came over to congratulate me on the night, thank you. It really did mean a lot!
You can also see the official 2021 City of Wanneroo Business Awards results, including the Best Business: Owner-Operator category.
Here's to supporting local businesses, celebrating their achievements and hopefully many more evenings like this one!
Hot Lizard Designs is an independent Squarespace website design business established in Perth in 2014 by Kati McKeon. We work with businesses across Australia and internationally, creating custom websites designed around their individual needs.