The finalists have been announced and are now in the running to become the 2012 Her Businesswoman of the Year.

The Her Businesswoman of the Year awards celebrate outstanding female business acumen and leadership within the New Zealand SME industry. Past winners have included Cilla Hegarty of NZ Tax Refunds Ltd, Brigit Blair of Linden Leaves, Peri Drysdale of Snowy Peak Ltd and, the event's current organiser, Stretton Group CEO, Annah Stretton.

"It gives me immense pleasure to celebrate individuals who are achieving great things in business," Annah says. "These awards also allow the entrants to reflect on their business model, identify its strengths and say to themselves 'I've done a great job'. Women so often neglect taking the time to recognise their tremendous accomplishments."

Judges were particularly impressed with the standard of entries this year although many businesswomen are still dealing with the impact of the recession, there are those taking a longer term view and proactively ensuring the life of their SMEs.

The Her Businesswoman of the Year is selected from the winners of each category and will be announced on Friday 22 June.

The 2012 finalists are:

Best New Business:

Sachie's Kitchen - Sachie Nomura

Succulent - Melanie Bunn

The Catlins Soap Company - Jude McNab

Best SME:

Kiwi Cake Supplies Ltd - Sandra Boston

Au Pair Link - Cecilia Robinson

sKids - Dawn Engelbrecht

Most Sustainable Business:

Zoom Technologies Ltd - Brenda Ford

sKids - Dawn Engelbrecht

Kiwi Cake Supplies Ltd - Sandra Boston

Flying Saucers - Kathy MacVicar