Like She Owns the PlaceBusiness Mum of the Year
Business Mum of the Year recognises a mother building a successful business while leading through the practical demands of family life and entrepreneurship. It celebrates measurable business achievement, strong decision-making, resilience and the systems that support sustainable growth.
Is this your category?
A quick read on the businesses this title is written for.
Demonstrates strong business results while managing significant family responsibilities.
Uses systems, support and clear priorities to build a sustainable business.
Shows resilience, leadership and sound decision-making through changing demands.
Creates opportunity, flexibility or encouragement for other parents through their example or business.
What judges need to see.
The five areas your answers are assessed against.
Foundation
Foundation: Business model, the entrant's role and the practical context in which the business operates.
Results
Results: Measurable commercial progress and business milestones.
Decisions
Decisions: Systems, support structures and decisions that enabled sustainable performance.
Leadership
Leadership: Leadership of the business, family-related pressures and the people around the entrant.
Impact
Impact: The example, opportunity or wider contribution created through the entrant's business journey.
Evidence to start gathering
Start collecting these now so the writing is quick later.
Read the Evidence Pack guideRevenue, client or customer growth with timeframes.
Business milestones and operational improvements.
Systems or delegation that increased capacity or sustainability.
Team or contractor growth.
Customer or client outcome data.
Examples of flexibility or employment structures created for parents.
Testimonials describing leadership or impact.
Evidence of resilience through a significant business or family transition.
Entry details and eligibility
The format, the dates and the conditions that apply to this title.
The entrant must be a mother and a business owner or founder.
- Assessment period
- 2024–27.
- Minimum business age
- 12 months.
- Written responses
- 5.
- Evidence Pack
- 5 pages.
1 January 2024 to 28 February 2027
Minimum 12 months in business as at 4 October 2026.
5 written responses, up to 400 words each.
One PDF, up to 5 pages and 10 MB.
Resources
Before you enter
Five short reads that answer almost everything. Each one opens the Entry Guide at the right place.
Evidence Pack guide
What counts as evidence, what does not, and how to lay the PDF out.
Full eligibility
The rules that apply to every title, including trading dates and locations.
How judging works
Who reads your entry, how it is scored and how finalists are chosen.
Build a strong entry
How to answer the five questions with specifics instead of adjectives.
Frequently asked questions
Costs, deadlines, multiple entries and everything else people ask first.
Category partner
Like She Owns the Place
Katie Boulter, Founder · Brisbane
Presenting Business Mum of the Year
Presenting partners do not score, select or influence entrants. Judging is run independently.
RAYE Awards 2027
Business Mum of the Year
Entries are written and submitted in the RAYE Awards portal, a separate system to RAYE Haus. Read the criteria, gather your evidence, then head across.