Gunnedah GW Group makes finals in 2019 New England Business Awards

GW Group is vying for victory in the micro business category (less than five employees), defying the odds in the continuing drought.

Owner Michael Cooke said he actively nominated the business and was "pretty stoked" when he found out they it made the cut.

"I'm pretty stoked given the predicament that we are groundsmen and do landscaping and the drought the region's been in," he said.

"It's the toughest in the five years I've been here."

Read also:

Mr Cooke said about 12 months ago, he realised he would have to change his approach if he was going to keep the business afloat.

"We changed strategy to strengthen relationships with business-to-business clients," he said.

"I realised there's potential to do a lot more out in regional Australia and it really is to build relationships with the cities and metropolitan areas.

"That strategy has really worked for us. With that strategy, you help your cash flow and help your staff become more professional.

"Forty to 50 per cent [of our work] comes from the cities."

Mr Cooke is now doing contract management and spends half his time in Melbourne.

"We're less focused on one town. We go as far as Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie, Coonabarabran and Moree," he said.

"The beauty of living in regional Australia, is they create a relationship with a forward-thinking company.

"We have unique selling points. We stand out from the rest of our competition."

Mr Cooke said "attention to detail is important" and there was a "sense of pride in my team in looking after business to business".

"Obviously, you can't do it without your team being on board and the customers," he said.

The drought has caused Mr Cooke to do some "rethinking" about the types of plants the business uses in landscaping, with a return to natives and mulching because "nature knows best".

"It's kind of educating people to use water wisely," he said.