DRIVER Hire Hereford and Worcester has been nominated for franchise of the year in this year’s national Startups Awards.

The company based in King Street, Worcester, is being supported by the city's MP Robin Walker, a member of the business, skills and innovation select committee, who is urging the business community to log-on to the Startups Awards website and vote for the local franchise

Owners Vance and Sue Parsons offered support to flood or storm-affected businesses across Herefordshire and Worcestershire during the floods of February of this year. Their offer of help came after seeing the impact of the flooding with their own eyes from their city centre office. The Parsons offered their recruitment expertise and contacts to try to identify and coordinate workers who are prepared to volunteer their time for free to support the city’s flood relief effort.

Mr Walker said: "I was very proud to hear that one of our local businesses in Worcester have been nominated for this prestigious national award and I would encourage as many local people as possible to vote for them. I already have and I wish Vance and Sue every success in highlighting yet another start up success from World Class Worcestershire.”

“The Prime Minister has set the ambition of making the UK the most attractive place in the world in which to start and grow a business. Through schemes such as startup loans and the new enterprise allowance the Government is helping many more entrepreneurs to live the dream of running their own businesses and I am delighted to be able to promote and support that work. I hope many more local businesses will achieve such success in the future.”

Now in its eleventh year; the Startups Awards has earned a reputation for unearthing some of the UK’s finest entrepreneurial businesses, and shining a spotlight on the start-up market. The awards recognise some of the UK’s most creative and innovative new businesses, providing an opportunity for finalists to network with like-minded entrepreneurs – including the award judges. The winners are announced at a lunch at London’s Kensington Roof Gardens on November 27 with one overall winner who will get the title of Simply Business Startups Business of the Year.