In Business readers are being urged to enter our special competition that will be worth thousands of pounds to the lucky winner.

Running a business can be a stressful experience.

Just when you think one problem has been overcome, another one presents itself and has to be dealt with.

And every time it happens it takes valuable time away from you and/or your staff which could be better spent on developing the business and improving the bottom line.

There are many organisations which can offer business advice but often the owners of small businesses feel they can't afford specialised outside help and try and tackle challenges themselves.

Often it is better left to the professionals which is where In Business can help with a special competition.

We have teamed up with top experts from three locally based firms to offer an exciting opportunity for any business with an Oxfordshire base.

The idea is to find a business with specific needs that need addressing to help it grow and develop its full potential.

The prize Your business could win up to 30 hours of free expert consultancy with an estimated value of £3,000 provided by Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets, accountants and business advisers Critchleys and corporate support firm Croner Consulting.

The prize also includes as part of this consultation a free complete needs analysis' on Employment Law and Health & Safety in the workplace.

The challenge We want you to let us know a specific business challenge that you face and would like to see addressed by one or more of the partners should you win the competition.

This could be: Issues surrounding health and safety, employment law, age discrimination and fire regulation compliance Preparing/ developing a business plan Selling/marketing your business Identifying key or specialist finance Handling foreign exchange Advice on international trade finance Dealing with hedging and financial risk Growing your business through funding These are just a few examples - feel free to suggest a series of challenges the experts could consider and let them take the strain of sorting out a problem for you!

Your nomination will identify why your business is in need of such advice and what your planned objective for such free expert consultancy would be.

Most importantly you need to be happy for other local businesses to read about the challenges you face in the pages of In Business and the solutions that will subsequently be revealed and the impact they have had on the business.

The entries will then be judged by a panel of judges including Andrew Smith, business editor of In Business, as well as Matthew Dillon from Lloyds TSB, Eric Burrow from Croner Consulting and Mark Rusher from Critchleys.

Mr Dillon said: "With the bank's most recent Business in Britain survey revealing business confidence across the Oxford and Thames Valley area was higher than the UK average, local businesses are well placed to take advantage of the growth-rich environment.

"Lloyds TSB Corporate Market's local team can provide expert guidance to the winning company, allowing them to identify ways to support growth, release locked-in value and protect profits through managing currency and interest rates."

Eric Burrow, business manager, with Croner Consulting, explained: "Recent age discrimination and fire regulations legislation means businesses need to become more legally compliant.

"Croner Consulting can help Oxfordshire-based businesses with tailored legal compliance solutions, regardless of size."

Mark Rusher from Critchleys added: "Critchleys dedicated business advice team provides support to small and medium-sized businesses throughout the county and their business life cycle. We are delighted to be involved in this competition."

To enter all you have to do is print off and complete the simple form attached here (PDF) spelling out why you are the most deserving winner.

The competition is open to everyone whether you are someone just starting out or an established firm with many employees facing a specific challenge.

Good luck and we look forward to receiving your entries with great interest.

The closing date for entries is Friday, February 16.

Click here to download the competition entry form as a PDF document.