Jewellery designer Carolyn Baird is a finalist in the 2016 Australian Small Business |Champion Awards.
Camera IconJewellery designer Carolyn Baird is a finalist in the 2016 Australian Small Business |Champion Awards. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Designs on excellence

Lucy JarvisJoondalup Times

They are the largest awards for small business in Australia, with winners in 43 industry categories.

Ms Baird creates jewellery designs in her Kingsley workshop, inspired by anything from the curve of a pot to the need for something distinctive to complement a particular outfit.

Her prototype pieces are then worn by friends so she can incorporate their feedback into design improvements before they are manufactured in large numbers.

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All the pieces are manufactured in solid 925 sterling silver and the range includes rings, earrings, necklaces and bangles.

She even has a children’s range called Cheeky Chilli.

The collection is exclusively available through direct sales representatives, who incorporate Ms Baird’s community service ethos in their business.

She asks that her distributors ‘pay it forward’ one day a week and do something for others in the community.

Her dedication to community service was inspired by the loss of her brother Brad at the age of 15 to cancer.

Since then, she has been a fundraiser for the 3B Oncology Ward at Princess Margaret Hospital, with a particular interest in finding ways to help teenagers going through cancer treatment.

Winners of the Australian Small Business Champion Awards will be announced in Sydney on April 23.