At a recent industry event organised by YourBusiness magazine and Visa, Dubai-based Content Syndicate was awarded two prestigious awards, emerging triumphant in the ‘Best New SME’ as well as the overall ‘Best SME in the GCC’ categories.
The awards were sponsored by HP and Visa International as platinum sponsor of the overall winner category.
The 2008 YourBusiness SME Awards marks the anniversary of YourBusiness publication in the market and by extension seeks to reward entrepreneurs for growth. Sponsors for these awards include Visa International, Emirates NBD, Etisalat, HP, Hamriyah Free Zone, DHL and Forsa.
The awards were open to local and expatriate business owners of small to medium enterprises, or SMEs that employ less than 250 staff, earn up to AED 50 million and operate in the Gulf region. The awards ceremony took place at the Park Hyatt Hotel on 20 October 2008 and was attended by over 200 invitees.
Commenting on the win, Content Syndicate’s Founder & CEO, Maddy Reddy, said: “With SMEs constituting nearly 80% of the business ecosystem, both in the region and globally, we are honoured to be awarded this recognition. It’s also easy to overlook the fact that some of the biggest firms out there were all ‘garage start-ups’ or SMEs when they started out. This award is an important milestone for us in the long and exciting journey ahead.”
The judging panel comprised of senior management from Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, Visa, HP, Etisalat, HSBC, Emirates NBD, Citibank, YourBusiness advisory board and business consultants.
From the thousands of entries received the past two months, the judges shortlisted 33 overall finalists across six categories based on quality, business potential, innovation, track record, scalability and the overall strength of the business model. This was followed by a detailed review of each company and concluded with voting and nomination process.
Reddy also shared the honours in the ‘Best New Entrepreneur’ category and added, “The sheer quality of entrants and finalists reveal that there is abundant vigour and drive for success within the SME sector and is a testament to the entrepreneurial spirit in the region.”
Content Syndicate’s Words on Demand service helps agencies, corporates, small and medium sized businesses and publishers to commission, distribute, buy and sell customised content in more than 200 languages. Having serviced more than 300 corporate clients, agencies and over 80 publishers for a range of editorial and copywriting services, CS has positioned itself as the region’s only specialist content services firm.
Because of its unique patent pending web-based business model, the firm can scale up to create impactful content in any major language, regardless of the client’s location, need or time with minimal costs.
Prior to this major haul of awards, last September Content Syndicate was a finalist at Seedcamp, a leading business launch pad in London and was selected from 260 start-ups in 42 countries for its innovative business model. In February this year, CS was selected in the top three of 150 start-ups by the Arab Business Angels Network, a subsidiary of Dubai International Capital (DIC) at DIFC.
The firm is also a finalist at the upcoming Lloyds TSB Business Awards and TiE-ISB awards scheduled to be held in November 2008.
Reddy commented: “It feels great to win or even be nominated for these coveted awards. I would like to extend my gratitude to all our clients, team, investors and partners for playing a vital role in our growth and success.”