THE New Business Award is a new addition to the programme, emphasising the expanding nature of these awards for the community and the importance of any business awards to recognise new companies in the Huntingdonshire area. The award is sponsored by The

THE New Business Award is a new addition to the programme, emphasising the expanding nature of these awards for the community and the importance of any business awards to recognise new companies in the Huntingdonshire area.

The award is sponsored by The Hunts Post parent company, Archant Herts and Cambs.

The new category is designed to recognise, celebrate and reward the area's best business start-ups.

As many as 400,000 brave individuals attempt to start their own businesses in the UK every year.

Initially, this is often an arduous and unrewarding task.

It can be lonely and extremely difficult to gain the recognition you deserve.

This is where the new category can help.

Whether you have recently started up, or have been trading for two-and a-half-years, we want to hear from you. This is a unique opportunity to gain invaluable recognition for your outstanding achievements.

The aim of this award is to recognise any new company that has been trading within Huntingdonshire since January 1, 2004.

Judges will be looking for the following criteria to have been met:

1 Innovation - Demonstrate innovation through new products/services, or systems showing innovation in management or running.

2 Business Strategy - Demonstrate how your business plan was workable and how it can be altered if situations arise that warrant change.

3 Promotion - Show how promotion was planned and executed in a controlled and cost effective way and how responses were monitored.

4 Use of local Support - What advice have you sought from available sources, how positive was the advice and has it been actioned?

5 Asset Management - What receivables and inventory management is in place?

6 Success - Demonstrate what success has been achieved and include a business plan.