The 702 Small Business Awards with Sage One has named Old School Cool as the winner for 2015, followed closely by runners-up Ice ID and Beyond Ability Talent Solutions. These great companies were chosen out of a field of 424 passionate and dedicated small businesses nominated for the Awards.

The annual Awards seek out small businesses with big dreams and enormous potential, recognising their achievements and providing them with the support they need to grow. The Awards invited 702 and CapeTalk listeners to nominate small businesses that have impressed them over the past 12 months. 

The aim is to give recognition to great small businesses that offer exceptional service, and provide them with the necessary exposure to help them grow, and inspire other businesses to follow in their footsteps. Old School Cool stood out among a range of strong competitors because of its dedication to customer service, passion, and potential to grow in the next few years.

Founded in 2009, Old School Cool provides safe, reliable and personalised transport to school, extramural activities, religious classes, playdates, and so on, for children ranging nursery and primary school aged kids to high school learners and first-year varsity students. The company is closely aligned with a non-profit organisations such as Magical Moments.

It meets an important need for working parents who are not always able to drive their children around themselves. With new cars and experienced drivers trained in first-aid training, defensive driving, and anti-hijacking techniques, it’s a professional organisation that gives its customers real peace of mind and makes the school run a breeze.

“Each year, we’re impressed by the quality of the nominations we receive from the public. There were so many hardworking, vibrant businesses to choose from, but Old School Cool stood out for the charisma and dynamism of its founder, Tiffini Wissing,” says Ivan Epstein, CEO of Sage AAMEA (Africa, Australia, Middle East and Asia).

“Well done to Old School Cool - you are ready to take on the world. Your example is an inspiration to other small business owners and entrepreneurs. We hope that the prizes and recognition you receive from the Award will help you to grow your business to new heights in the years to come.”

“This is amazing. Without my team, an idea is just an idea. This Award is all for them and because of them. They’re phenomenal. Thank you, Sage and 702 for this amazing opportunity,” says Tiffini, owner of Old School Cool.

“Old School Cool stood out for the judges for many reasons,” said 702 station manager Pheladi Gwangwa, who sat on the panel. “They provide an excellent service, fill a gap in the market, have a strong business case, show much potential for growth. Tiffini impressed us with her passion for providing optimal service to her clients, giving back to the community and training her own staff to the strictest safety standards. This business is a shining example of the great work that is being done in the SME sector.”

The winning small businesses received the following:

• The Winner: Old School Cool received an advertising package to the value of R250 000 on 702.
• The Runner-ups: Ice ID and Beyond Ability Talent Solutions received a R125 000 airtime package on 702.

Sage also awarded the winners in Johannesburg with a laptop and free access to Sage One Accounting and Sage One Payroll software (including one year of software support) and a training course or seminar of their choice, giving them the freedom they need to run their business anywhere, anytime.

Click here to listen to Old School is Cool’s interview with Xolani Gwala when she was nominated.