A YOUNG Worcester entrepreneur is setting up a digital media platform to promote independent businesses, which she believes could be unique.

Season Collective, the brainchild of Radana Hruba, is based on the model of a digital business directory, but it is much more than that. The aim is to create a kaleidoscope of independent business from all over the UK, covering services like clubs, pubs, shops and restaurants, so that anyone can connect and chose which they want to use wherever they are.

"The idea is to make you feel like a local wherever you are," explained Miss Hruba, who is from the Czech Republic and came to Worcester seven years ago to study at the city's university. Season Collective is going to operate through a website and an app.

"Season Collective exists to help you discover the amazing independent places, like cafes, restaurants, boutiques and boutique hotels, hair dressers, beauty salons, jewellery stores, florists, even grocery stores that ‘go the extra mile’ just to give you the best experience and quality," she added. "We believe independent businesses are wonderful places with a great experience and knowledge and unique products or services.

"Season Collective will act as a partner by helping independent businesses to establish their brand on its unique platform, giving them the opportunity to find their niche, get inspired by others and compete to become the best in their field locally or nationally. At Season Collective, you will be able to see the inside of our partners stores from the comfort of your chair at home, or your sun bed while on holiday. Browse our app on the go and feel like a local anywhere you go.

"We are aiming to work closely with our partners to create exclusive visual and editorial content that gives them wonderful exposure. In the future we have plans to develop our platform further with loyalty programmes to give an extra value to our customers. Season Collective is not like your traditional business directory, it is a modern digital media platform you can’t stay away from. These are the hidden gems of small independent businesses and in our modern digital world you want to stay connected to every hidden corner out there."

Miss Hruba has entered Virgin's Voom 2016 Business Start Up competition, which operates on a public voting system, and to vote for Season Collective go to vmbvoom.com/pitches/season-collective