THE countdown has begun for the Wyre Forest Business Idol title and the £1,000 prize that goes with it.

The competition, launched by the Kidderminster Big Breakfast Club in association with the Shuttle/Times & News, aims to find the area's most enterprising small business with the potential to deliver significant growth in the next year.

And the response shows that imagination and flair still thrive in our midst.

There are plenty of men and women who have the courage and vision to follow their dream. They run all kinds of companies - from shoe repairing to a dog massage centre, from party balloons to an agency that supplies theatrical props and film extras.

They have all grabbed the chance to try and win the big Business Idol prize and get valuable advice - more than £2,500 worth of it - from members of Kidderminster's own friendly and informal Breakfast Club who have been there, done that and now run their own highly successful businesses.

Members have now begun the judging. They have selected 10 finalists who, over the next few weeks, are being invited in pairs to regular meetings of the club to expand on their business hopes and plans.

From those, three grand finalists will be chosen to attend a gala evening at La Brasserie, when the winner of the £1,000 will be chosen.

The gala evening was originally scheduled for June but this will now take place on Thursday, July 10, when a buffet supper will be laid on.

Clive Joyce, editor of the Shuttle/Times & News, said: "We're delighted with the enthusiastic way so many enterprising people in Wyre Forest have responded to the competition. It augurs well for the future prosperity of the area. The spirit of Rowland Hill and the Brintons is obviously very much alive and kicking."

Rob Harris, chairman of the Breakfast Club, echoed his thoughts and added: "Choosing the 10 finalists was not easy. There are so many worthy and exciting embryo businesses to judge but there can be only one winner on July 10.

"I would like to emphasise that we are very impressed with everybody who has entered our contest and, at the end of the day, people should not consider themselves failures if they are not finalists.

"We offer a friendly invitation to them all to come along to Kidderminster Big Breakfast Club. They would be most welcome and would almost certainly benefit. We're not a stuffy bunch. We have a lot of laughs but, more important, we also generate a great deal of business.

"There is no entrance fee. We have no paid officials. All you have to do is turn up at La Brasserie at 7am on a Tuesday morning and pay £10 for your breakfast."

If you have any queries about Business Idol or want to join the Kidderminster Big Breakfast Club, call Peter Ricketts, on 01562 630794.

Click here to see all 17 entries in our Business Idol competition.