Award nomination for home-grown business shining a light on Bunbury community

Bunbury businessman Amol Agrawal has been nominated for two top honours at the Mortgage and Finance Association of Australia’s State Excellence Awards. He is the only South West nominee in two categories — the regional finance broker award, and the customer service individual award. Mr Agrawal has called the South West home for nearly 20 years, starting in Busselton and spending the past 15 years in Bunbury. The finance broker said he started in business-to-business sales covering the region, and the award nominations were an unexpected highlight of his career. “I spent 12 years building relationships with local businesses and becoming their trusted partner within the South West’s business community,” he said. “I genuinely felt I could make a bigger difference in this profession to people’s lives than my prior role. “While working full-time, I pursued my goal of becoming a finance broker by starting my studies after-hours and giving time up on the weekend, and eventually launched my business in 2018 as a side gig. “I went full-time in my business in April 2021, with a model that is not revenue-driven, but people-driven.” Mr Agrawal said his goal was to help as many people as he could so they understood how their profiles were reviewed, and how they could be affected when applying for finance. “This knowledge will empower them to make the right choices to suit their financial goals and ambitions,” he said. “The whole idea was to help the community in any shape or form when it comes to lending and educating people. “My biggest advice is to speak to your finance broker six months before you are looking so they can help strengthen your application to help you achieve your goals.” Mr Agrawal said he was “really blessed” to be a finalist, admitting he did not expect to be on the shortlist for the accolade. The WA winners will be announced on June 13, ahead of the National Excellence Awards in Melbourne on July 25.