We have been shortlisted as finalists in the biggest business women's awards outside of London. The Enterprise Vision Awards have been running for over ten years. It is organised by Coral Horn and her team at Pink Link, a business network organisation which covers the North West and beyond. Held at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, there will be over 600 guests in the ballroom on September 23rd when the winners are revealed.

So how did we get here?

Liz and Ruth, (who are sisters) were nominated in the family business category and had to submit a written application. The word count is very limited so every sentence must pack a punch! It's not easy blowing your own trumpet but we were selected as one of six finalists in the category with some other amazing family businesses.

The competition is stiff, but one of the reasons we like this award is the transparency and fairness of the judging process. We were asked to present for 5 minutes then answer searching questions from the panel of experienced business people. It was not easy! The judges then score each business, but do not discuss their thoughts, so none of them know who has won until the golden envelope is finally opened on the evening!

If there is a tie or the judging is particularly tight it will come down to the public vote - so that is where you come in! If you can spare a minute to go over to the EVA's website and vote for us, we would be really grateful!

You can vote for us here (voting closes on Friday 12th August)

Awards are time consuming and nerve-racking but sometimes it's nice to get a pat on the back. We really would love to win, but it's great to get to the final!