Emergency ID Australia, a small business based in Campbell Town, is a quiet achiever that was recognised this year as a finalist in the Australian Small Business Champion Awards.
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The business provides personalised emergency identification products such as bracelets, necklaces, and other accessories that can be engraved with medical information and emergency contact details.
Founder and Director Nicole Graham said that they had not advertised locally and all ordering was done online.
Most Tasmanians knew little about them, she said.
"We prefer it that way, to just work quietly in the background," Ms Graham said.
Ms Graham started her business 18 years ago after realising that there was a need for medical information to be accessed immediately in an emergency.
As a police officer, she experienced many accidents where ID would have benefited patients and emergency services.
She also experienced this need personally when her uncle was killed by a drunk driver. He lay all night in the morgue as an unidentified person as he had no ID with his address or next of kin.
Ms Graham started Emergency ID with a laptop in her dining room. The biggest challenge she faced was not having any business experience, Ms Graham said.
She said she overcame this by educating herself and by going through a lot of trial and error. She also relied on networking and learnt from other business people.
It took about five years for her business to become a success.
The products that Emergency ID now create allow first responders and medical staff to quickly access this important information and save valuable time.
Ms Graham said that her products have "proven to save lives".
She said her 13-year-old son had noticed that one of his teachers was wearing an Emergency ID bracelet.
He told the teacher that it was "his Mum's company" and the teacher told him "to please thank your Mum because this bracelet has saved my life".
Becoming a finalist at the Small Business Awards, was "a real honour," Ms Graham said.
As a national competition, it receives thousands of submissions and she said it was a "tough competition".
In the 18 years that she's been running Emergency ID, Ms Graham said that she was most proud of her customer service and helping people.
Her goal for the business is to "continually grow and help people".
"That's the aim. Never stop moving forward and advancing," she said.
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Charmaine Manuel
Charmaine is a journalist at The Examiner. She's interested in social, political and environmental issues. Got a story? Get in touch at charmaine.manuel@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Charmaine is a journalist at The Examiner. She's interested in social, political and environmental issues. Got a story? Get in touch at charmaine.manuel@austcommunitymedia.com.au
