Sustainable Salons awarded COSBOA Small Business Champion of 2019
Announcement posted by COSBOA 04 Sep 2019
From recycling hair to solving community issues, this Champion is making waves
Every year the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA) awards a Small Business Champion at their National Small Business Summit to recognise and acknowledge small business influencers who are making a genuine difference to their industry or the sector.
This year’s winners, Paul Frasca and Ewelina Soroko, co-founders of Sustainable Salons were recognised for their impact on the hairdressing industry and setting a clear example of how small business can drive sustainability.
Peter Strong, CEO of COSBOA, said this is a small business who are worthy winners of this prestigious award. “Their vision to make ‘salon waste’ history, is truly inspiring!”
“These are people who are innovative and open to change, stopping at no boundaries, they have done some amazing things; not only connecting the hairdressing community, but they have built a successful business, and they’ve done it sustainably,” said Mr Strong.
Paul Frasca, Managing Director, Hairdresser and self-confessed ‘above-ground miner’, attended the Gala Dinner and was thrilled with the win, saying it was their fantasy business plan that pushed them to make a difference.
“It’s an honour to be awarded this as a small business. Ewelina and I started this business by really creating a fantasy business plan, while travelling around Australia, we wanted to create a business that we wanted to wake up to every day.
“This business plan captured more than just recycling, it was actually about solving community issues, and more importantly the profiting issues within that. Because every time someone thinks of a green idea, they say, ‘it’s not making any money’, but it can today. What we did in our business to make it successful was to solve the community issue, the recycling issue, and the profitability issue - that is truly ‘sustainability’.
Paul explained that Sustainable Salons have designed an above-ground mining business for the hairdressing industry; collecting up to 95% of the salon’s waste bin and repurposing it for environmental and community benefit.
“We’ve got more than 800 members of Sustainable Salons (and growing!) in the hairdressing, barbering, beauty and pet-grooming sectors across Australia and New Zealand.
“We are thrilled with everything we have achieved for our community as a business and with lots of exciting new research into uses of hair, we are committed and eager to see what the future of sustainability in above-ground mining looks like,” finished Mr Frasca.
For more on Sustainable Salons visit: www.sustainablesalons.org/
For more on COSBOA visit: www.cosboa.org.au/
- ENDS -
Media Contacts:
Further information, images, interviews and industry commentary available on request.
ZADRO
Jessica McLean, Senior Account Manager | +61 2 9212 7867 | jessica@zadroagency.com.au
Debbie Bradley, Group Account Director | +61 420 761 189 | debbie@zadroagency.com.au
Event Contacts:
For event information and registration, please contact The Association Specialists:
Tel: +61 2 9431 8600
Email: nsbs@cosboa.org.au
Website: http://www.cosboansbs.com.au/welcome
Notes to Editors:
Images
1. Paul Frasca, Managing Director, Sustainable Salons
2. Photo from COSBOA Gala Dinner
[From left] Mark Mckenzie, Natalie James [2018 COSBOA Small Business Champion], The Hon. Steve Irons, Paul Frasca, Sandy Chong, Peter Strong and Elizabeth Skirving.
This year’s winners, Paul Frasca and Ewelina Soroko, co-founders of Sustainable Salons were recognised for their impact on the hairdressing industry and setting a clear example of how small business can drive sustainability.
Peter Strong, CEO of COSBOA, said this is a small business who are worthy winners of this prestigious award. “Their vision to make ‘salon waste’ history, is truly inspiring!”
“These are people who are innovative and open to change, stopping at no boundaries, they have done some amazing things; not only connecting the hairdressing community, but they have built a successful business, and they’ve done it sustainably,” said Mr Strong.
Paul Frasca, Managing Director, Hairdresser and self-confessed ‘above-ground miner’, attended the Gala Dinner and was thrilled with the win, saying it was their fantasy business plan that pushed them to make a difference.
“It’s an honour to be awarded this as a small business. Ewelina and I started this business by really creating a fantasy business plan, while travelling around Australia, we wanted to create a business that we wanted to wake up to every day.
“This business plan captured more than just recycling, it was actually about solving community issues, and more importantly the profiting issues within that. Because every time someone thinks of a green idea, they say, ‘it’s not making any money’, but it can today. What we did in our business to make it successful was to solve the community issue, the recycling issue, and the profitability issue - that is truly ‘sustainability’.
Paul explained that Sustainable Salons have designed an above-ground mining business for the hairdressing industry; collecting up to 95% of the salon’s waste bin and repurposing it for environmental and community benefit.
“We’ve got more than 800 members of Sustainable Salons (and growing!) in the hairdressing, barbering, beauty and pet-grooming sectors across Australia and New Zealand.
“We are thrilled with everything we have achieved for our community as a business and with lots of exciting new research into uses of hair, we are committed and eager to see what the future of sustainability in above-ground mining looks like,” finished Mr Frasca.
For more on Sustainable Salons visit: www.sustainablesalons.org/
For more on COSBOA visit: www.cosboa.org.au/
- ENDS -
Media Contacts:
Further information, images, interviews and industry commentary available on request.
ZADRO
Jessica McLean, Senior Account Manager | +61 2 9212 7867 | jessica@zadroagency.com.au
Debbie Bradley, Group Account Director | +61 420 761 189 | debbie@zadroagency.com.au
Event Contacts:
For event information and registration, please contact The Association Specialists:
Tel: +61 2 9431 8600
Email: nsbs@cosboa.org.au
Website: http://www.cosboansbs.com.au/welcome
Notes to Editors:
- For more information on COSBOA visit cosboa.org.au
- Interviews with Peter Strong, CEO of COSBOA are available upon request via ZADRO
- Connect through social media channels:
- Facebook: /COSBOA
- Twitter: @COSBOA
- LinkedIn: Peter Strong COSBOA
- Hashtag: #NSBS19
Images
1. Paul Frasca, Managing Director, Sustainable Salons
2. Photo from COSBOA Gala Dinner
[From left] Mark Mckenzie, Natalie James [2018 COSBOA Small Business Champion], The Hon. Steve Irons, Paul Frasca, Sandy Chong, Peter Strong and Elizabeth Skirving.