Rural women with emerging businesses should take the opportunity of benchmarking themselves against others in the RWNZ Enterprising Rural Women Awards.

Entries for the 2012 awards are due in by March 16 and 2010 winner Tineke Verkade from Homeopathic Farm Support Ltd says rural women shouldn't hesitate to enter.

Tineke's animal homeopathy business won both the North Island and the overall Supreme award.

'It gives recognition for somebody who is maybe not well known; gives recognition of rural women who are working hard, who have a really good product,” says Tineke. 'It definitely gives them a boost. It gets you to look at your business and you learn so much from it.”

Tineke says the publicity alone generated from the awards – whether you win or not – gives your business great exposure.

Even a negative article written about homeopathy in a farming publication gave Tineke more business.

'A professional wrote a negative article; there was an amazing response from farmers saying ‘hang on' – feedback in letters to the editor about homeopathy.

‘People said ‘how dare you talk about someone who has supported our whole family, our children as well as our animals, for the last 15 or 20 years'.

'It was very heart warming. Something negative, something good came out of it.”

Tineke's business was set up to support farmers in a complimentary way to 'make their cows happy”.

'The farmers end up with happy cows, with good animal health.”

Fonterra says a quarter to a third of its dairy suppliers use homeopathy products.

Tineke has been running her business, based in Hamilton, since 1994 and is organically certified and has class determination from ACVM.

Rural Women New Zealand national president Liz Evans says this is the fourth year they have run the Enterprising Rural Women Awards, which have been very successful in uncovering some exciting businesses run by women in rural areas.

The wide variety of businesses has seen past winners include Tineke's animal homeopathy business, a farm walk and homestay enterprise, a forestry trucking company, a children's merino sock producer and a traditional-style cheese maker. This year, there are three award categories: The Telecom North Island Award, the Access Homehealth South Island Award, and a new category, the Fly Buys Online Business Award, recognising the growth of internet-based businesses. Each category winner will receive $1000 in prize money.

The supreme winner of the RWNZ Enterprising Rural Women Award 2012 is chosen from the three category winners, and will receive a further $1000 as well as a trophy.

The RWNZ Enterprising Rural Women Awards 2012 are open to small businesses with 10 staff or less, that have been operating for at least two years. Women must be an active partner of 50 per cent or more. Past entrants are welcome to re-enter.

For entry forms and further information visit www.ruralwomen.org.nz.