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The Room Xchange has been named a finalist in the 2018 Australian Small Business Champion awards in the category of New Business

Announcement posted by Arize Communications 27 Mar 2018

Melbourne-based startup, The Room Xchange, has been nominated as a finalist in this year’s Australian Small Business Champion Awards, in the New Business category.

The Room Xchange aims to establish a unique, alternative way of living that will make a significant impact on people’s quality of life, the environment and the economy. The online platform connects Hosts who have a spare room with Guests who are willing to pay for their keep by doing up to 14 hours of house work per week.

The Room Xchange Founder and CEO, Ludwina Dautovic, said “It is an honour to be nominated for the Australian Small Business Champion New Business Award, alongside my fellow finalists. Small businesses breathe life into the economy and are often drivers for change when larger institutions are slow to move. The nomination is a testament to our hard work and to the potential of The Room Xchange to change the world we live in.” 

The Australian Small Business Champion Awards has been running since 1999, formerly as the NSW Small Business Champion of Champion Awards, before a national expansion saw the program become the Australian Small Business Champion Awards in 2007.

The Australian Small Business Champion Awards program, developed and managed by Precedent Productions, recognises and supports small businesses across Australia. Judges come from a range of backgrounds and have deep experience in, or understanding of, small business.  

There are over half a million small businesses in Australia, which create employment and economic growth. As stated by The Hon. Michael McCormack, MP, Federal Minister for Small Business, “Employing more than 4.7 million Australians, the nature of small business in Australia is vast and diverse. The sector is what drives our country’s economy and gives millions of Australians their first start – and often, their career – in the workforce.”

As the Minister for Small Business, I want to help the sector thrive. Central to this is helping showcase the stories of success and inspiration, so customer bases can grow and more Australians with a spark of an idea and a dedication can see their dreams become a reality.

The Room Xchange is a small business with big plans for the future. It aims to address some of society’s most entrenched problems by connecting people and resources. As Ludwina points out, “in Australia alone, there are seven million unused spare rooms that could be converted into housing stock. By utilising resources that already exist, we can provide affordable housing for millions of people and in-home support for time poor households.” In two years, The Room Xchange has proven the concept with successful cases, received registrations in 35 countries, and raised half a million dollars in capital.

The 2018 Australian Small Business Champion Award winners will be announced at a Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony at The Star Event Centre, in Sydney on Saturday, 21st April. The evening is being touted as the ‘Oscars of Business’ featuring leading Australian entertainment, fine dining and drinks.

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About The Room Xchange:

The Room Xchange is a Melbourne-based sharing economy platform that aims to provide affordable and accessible housing solutions. It launched in 2017. The platform connects Guests with Hosts, who are in need of in-home support, via an online platform.

Guests tend to be home leavers, students, international travellers and people transitioning through life stages. Hosts are typically home owners with high mortgages and living expenses who are working very long hours to maintain their lifestyle, elderly people requiring company and support, and ‘empty nesters,’ who would rather share their space, as opposed to down-sizing.

For more information visit theroomxchange.com. To speak to Ludwina Dautovic, Founder and CEO of The Room Xchange, please contact Elisa Brear on 0438 369 646 or elisa@arize.com.au.