A DROITWICH Spa holiday firm is in the running for a national business award.

Hotelshop UK, in St Andrew's Square, is one of several firms less than two years old competing for the £20,000 top prize in the HSBC Start-Up Stars Awards.

The contest was launched last year to encourage fledgling entrepreneurs.

Hotelshop is the brainchild of Vivienne Hudson and Julie Shorrock who have worked together since 1999.

The firm provides small, independent UK hotels with a means of reaching potential customers without embarking on expensive advertising campaigns.

Vivienne and Julie specialise in helping hotels fill vacancies in off-peak periods by selling last-minute short breaks through tactical advertising in the national press.

Members of the public can call Hotelshop if they are seeking a holiday offer.

Vivienne and Julie have more than 250 members and employ 30 staff.

The business is growing rapidly, with sales this year up 100 per cent on their first 12 months. Plans for the future include further development of their call centre operations.

An HSBC spokesman said: "This is an excellent example of how two people's vision is helping shape a business and demonstrates the spirit of these awards.

"We hope highlighting their achievements will ensure other people turn their business dreams into reality."

Judges will inspect the business soon.