Last updated at 16:59, Thursday, 08 November 2012

ENTRIES are rolling in for a competition which could land south Cumbria’s best businesses with advertising worth thousands.

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The Local Business Accelerator scheme will give three businesses expert advice along with a £13,000 advertising campaign in the Evening Mail.

Among the entries are artisan beer makers, Hardknott Brewery, from Millom, run by Dave Bailey; Promise Bridal, a bridal outfitters shop in Barrow, run by Sharon Platt; The Wedding Room, a wedding shop in Barrow, run by Elaine Hill; Coulson Associates, an Ulverston based business support firm, run by Sue Coulson; and Lumbio Ltd a company that produces an environmentally friendly cleaning product that can kill a wide variety of pathogens, based in Dalton and run by Mark Wilding.

The firms will go forward to an initial round of judging in November where business gurus will pick a shortlist of finalists.

After a second round of judging, three winners will be selected.

The LBA campaign is being spearheaded by the Newspaper Society and is supported by accountancy and business advice firm Armstrong Watson and the University of Cumbria.

The scheme aims to find the most promising fledgling businesses in South Cumbria which would benefit from mentoring and a three-month advertising campaign.

Winners will receive advice from CN Businessman of the Year and managing director of Wax Lyrical Mike Armstead, Martin Cutbill, director of sales and marketing at Furness Building Society and Paul Graham, general manager of Abbey House Hotel.

The mentors will help choose a shortlist of up to 10 entrants to be revealed in December and the three winners will be unveiled next year.

As an added bonus all entrants in the competition will get 20 per cent off their first advertising campaign in the Evening Mail (terms and conditions apply).

Entry in the scheme is open until November 16.

If your business is aged between 12 months and five years old visit www.accelerateme.co.uk for more information or to enter.

First published at 16:11, Thursday, 08 November 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk