Are you a female led business in the North East of Scotland? Think your business deserves recognition? Then enter the Business Women Scotland Awards North East!

Run by Business Women Scotland magazine, these awards are to celebrate and reward the many different and inspiring business women in the Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Dundee and Angus area. It’s free to enter, and there are awards for new and established companies, employers and mentors, social media campaigns and international growth.

Categories include:

• NEW ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR (UP TO 18 MONTHS OLD) This award celebrates the entrepreneurial aptitude, vision, ambition, drive and commercial acumen to build a successful enterprise from start-up.
• NEW BUSINESS OF THE YEAR (UP TO 3 YEARS OLD) This award celebrates Scotland’s highest performing new companies and recognises those that have exceeded initial targets for growth and financial performance. It recognises the companies who have best demonstrated an understanding of their competitors, customers, and markets they operate in; and have the foundations in place for continued commercial success.
• SME OF THE YEAR (OVER 3 YEARS, UP TO 250 EMPLOYEES, UP TO £12MILLION TURNOVER) This award will recognize the development and growing success of an SME, looking at business growth and strong financial performance, profitability, and brand awareness achieved in relation to the number of employees and budget
• EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR This award recognises a return on investment in people, the employee strategy that best attracts, retains and develops talent and how it contributes to sustainable growth and being an employer of choice. INTERNATIONAL GROWTH OF THE YEAR Recognising Scottish businesses that have achieved the highest and most sustainable levels of international growth in the past year, celebrating their export success. This award focuses on all aspects of growth - including sales, profit, geographical expansion, and acquisition.
• MENTOR OF THE YEAR Award for a business mentor who has been inspirational and provided her knowledge, expertise and advice to others, free of charge. Nominated by someone who is being mentored.
• BEST USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA An award for the most innovative use of a social media campaign to promote a company, brand, event, or information.

Entry is open now, and closes at 9am on Monday 2nd May 2016, with two local business experts as independent judges. The winners are automatically shortlisted for the national awards in Glasgow in October.

Find out more information and get your entry form at their website