Xero, the global small business platform, has announced the return of the Xero Beautiful Business Fund for 2024. This initiative offers more than NZ$750,000 ($456,825 USD) in funding to support small businesses and nonprofits with their growth plans and help drive future success.
Entries for the Xero Beautiful Business Fund are now open to Xero small business customers in Australia, Canada (excluding Quebec), New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The entry period will close on August 27, 2024 (NZT).
Xero small business customers must complete an online form and submit a 90-second pitch video to the competition website. Participants can enter as many categories as they wish:
Innovating for Environmental Sustainability: For businesses or nonprofits looking to advance their environmental sustainability efforts by minimizing their impact, improving the sustainability of their products or services, or developing new environmentally friendly products or services.
Trailblazing with Technology: For organizations with a forward-thinking mindset aiming to lead the way using new and emerging technologies.
Strengthening Community Connection: For businesses or nonprofits focused on serving their communities and making a positive impact. This could include supporting underserved groups or contributing to social good through innovative ideas.
Upskilling for the Future: For businesses or nonprofits looking to address a skills gap through training and professional development.
Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, Xero CEO, expressed enthusiasm for the initiative: “We’re thrilled to offer the Xero Beautiful Business Fund again in 2024. As a global judge last year, hearing firsthand from our small business customers about their ideas and aspirations was a rewarding experience. The fund is a chance to reflect on our purpose to make life better for small businesses, their advisors, and communities around the world and provide meaningful support so our customers can fulfill their dreams or take that next big step with confidence.”
The Xero Beautiful Business Fund was first launched on July 6, 2023, coinciding with Xero Day, the company’s anniversary. As Xero celebrates its 18th anniversary this year, the fund continues to celebrate small businesses and help them achieve their dreams.
The 2023 global winners from Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the UK represent a diverse group of small businesses and nonprofits passionate about solving problems and making an impact in their communities. Examples include a charity addressing childhood poverty, a food-buying club connecting local growers and customers, and a lighting design and manufacturing business.
Layla Sargent, Founder & CEO of The Seam, a platform offering wardrobe alteration and repair services and a 2023 global winner in the Upskilling for the Future category, shared her experience: “The Xero Beautiful Business Fund has given us strategic support so we can grow through training and upskilling our makers. This is so valuable as the funds allowed us to develop more training programs and share them broadly. The core skills driving our business like tailoring will always depend on human interaction, so education and upskilling will always be important, as those elements cannot be replaced by technology.”
Regional and Global Prize Winners
The total prize pool of more than NZ$750,000 will be shared among 28 winners. Each country will have four winners (one in each category), determined by local judging panels, and each winner will receive NZ$20,000. Four of these winners will be selected as global winners by a global judging panel and will receive an additional NZ$50,000. The local currency amounts for participating countries can be found in the Competition Terms and Conditions.
For full criteria, details on how to enter, and profiles of the 2023 winners, please visit Xero’s website. Entries will close on August 27, 2024 (NZT), and winners will be announced at the end of October 2024.
Image: Depositphotos
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