Entries are open for the Dorchester and Poundbury Business Awards are now open.

Do you know businesses that deserve to be recognised or would you like to enter your own business?

There are a range of categories to enter, including:

• Best community support - seen to be supporting other businesses or people during the pandemic

• Best customer/client service

• Arts, crafts and artisans

• Mental wellbeing and awareness

• Best use of digital

• Green business of the year

• New business of the year

• Health, beauty and fitness

• Independent business of the year

• Retail business of the year

• Service provider of the year

• Café/pub of the year

• Rising star of the year - 16 to 25-year-old either starting out in business or working within a business

• Overall winner

Nigel Reeve, of award organisers Marketing West, said: "It's time to look to the future and focus on getting business moving again. Our plan is to use the awards to promote the range of local businesses and get people shopping locally again.

"We held our launch event just before Christmas at the Keep Museum and the feedback and support have been fantastic. We've already brought on board an impressive group of supporters and sponsors.

"The website shows a wide range of categories, making sure there's an opportunity for every business. The awards are free to enter with a simple entry form that should take no more than 10 minutes to complete. Local businesses can also enter as many categories as they want.

"The plan is to hold a lunchtime awards ceremony in May this year."

Entries close on Monday, March 22.

For more information and to enter, visit the Dorchester and Poundbury Business Awards.

You can submit your own news straight to Dorchester Nub News by using the 'Nub It' button on our home page. This can also be done for events on our What's On page and businesses, groups and organisations on our Local Listings page , also by using the 'Nub It' button.

Please like and follow our online newspaper on your favourite social media channel. You can find us @DorchesterNubNews on Facebook and @DorchesterNub Twitter.