Powerful women across the Hunter have been recognised for their impact on communities, as part of the 2023 Australian Women's Small Business Champion awards.
Newcastle's Start my Cleaning Biz is one of 10 finalists across the region and founder and CEO Fiona Morris says running a business is no small feat.
"I've been in business since 2011 and I know how tough it can be," she said.
The entrepreneur said her first business was a fail but now she confidently runs a seven-figure business.
"I get to do good in the world," she said.
She said being named a finalist meant a lot and she appreciated how the business landscape had changed for women in recent years.
"It's not only giving us more opportunities to be recognised but it has enabled women to collaborate and strengthen as entrepreneurs," she said.
She said no matter who wins at the awards night in September, to be held in Penrith's Western Sydney Conference Centre, she was grateful to be surrounded by strong women.
"I'm going to be in a room with powerhouse women, no matter who wins I get to walk away meeting someone really impactful and hear lots of heart warming stories," she said.
Other finalists include Palfreyman Chartered Accountants (Accounting Services), PLH Accountants (Accounting Services), Brows by Willow (Beauty Services), Sunflower Services (Disability Support Services), Advanced School of Beauty (Educational Services), The Family Law Co (Legal Services), Innerworks Business Solutions (Recruitment Services), Spectrum Comms (Marketing Services) and The Better Clean Team (Trade Services).
The awards will also showcase the achievements of four individual category winners - Young Small Business Champion Woman Entrepreneur (aged 30 and younger), Small Business Champion Woman Entrepreneur (aged over 30), Australian Small Business Champion Influential Woman and Australian Small Business Champion Icon.
Awards founder and Precedent Productions managing director Steve Loe said the success of female-led small businesses in Australia was on the rise.
"Especially during the past decade and even during the current challenging economic climate," he said.
"We simply could not look past the spiking number of female small business trailblazers and so deemed it only appropriate to present a standalone awards programme that really celebrates our nation's women in small business."
