Clinic bags top awards for business

Busselton clinic Nudge Psychological Assessment and Consulting walked away with the major prize at this year’s Business South West Small Business Awards, recognised as small business of the year at last weekend’s ceremony.

Last year, Nudge was a finalist in six categories and won two awards, and has only continued thriving since then.

Director and principal clinical psychologist Dr Melissa Harrison also won business person of the year after starting up Nudge in a tiny office six years ago.

“I started it off in a small 3x3 room and started doing everything, from admin to the actual assessments,” she said. “I decided to do it at a time when I felt disillusioned from the industry I’d been working in and wanted to get behind something I believed in.”

Dr Harrison’s vision to create a centre of clinical excellence was realised quicker than she hoped and the clinic’s achievements were recognised in the recent awards ceremony, winning small business of the year and best business with five-10 employees.

“Nudge gained momentum really fast early on,” Dr Harrison said.

“That first month we went into practice, we made enough to cover all the costs we’d put in to set it up, and a small profit of $1.70, which is unheard of.”

Dr Harrison said Nudge stood out because it offered a multitude of services under the one roof, with each of the psychologists offering their own specific speciality for patients.