Search begins to find top new firms

NORTH Devon's top new companies are being urged to enter the competition to find Britain's best new start-up businesses less than three years old. Entries are being sought for the annual HSBC Start-Up Stars Awards. This year's awards, back-dropped ag

NORTH Devon's top new companies are being urged to enter the competition to find Britain's best new start-up businesses less than three years old.Entries are being sought for the annual HSBC Start-Up Stars Awards. This year's awards, back-dropped against some of the toughest trading conditions on record, are expected to highlight a new generation of "Phoenix" Entrepreneurs - people who are using a change in work circumstances to go it alone with their own business and a new lifestyle. Head of Business Banking for HSBC, Huw Morgan, said: "The recession can be a trigger for people to decide that they want to take control of their own lives and invest in their own business. "Start-Up Stars is all about enabling people to achieve that dream and demonstrating, through practical example, that with the right help and support, there are still opportunities out there for people with the dedication and will to succeed." This year, the entrepreneur who can convince the judges he or she has the vital X-Factor for success will pocket �25,000 for their new business, courtesy of HSBC. Entry forms are available online at www.startupstars.hsbc.co.uk. For further enquiries, please contact the Start-Up Stars office on 0800 085 3411. Closing date for entries is 24 April 2009.