A business woman is “over the moon” after being named as a finalist for an award.

28-year-old optometrist and store owner Dimple Kumar of Specsavers in Barnet is a finalist for the SME Hertfordshire’s Young Business Person of the Year.

Dimple says she is thrilled to be not only considered, but also be one of two finalists for the accolade.

She said: “I’m just over the moon to be shortlisted and recognised for my achievements to date.

“Becoming an optician and having my own store has been a dream of mine since I was 16 years old.

“That teenager never thought she would be shortlisted for an esteemed business award many years later.

Dimple worked at the store since she was 16-years-old every Saturday while studying her GCSE’s.

Her employer at the time Rakesh Kapoor, who is also a store director at Barnet, said:“Dimple had what I have to coin ‘The It Factor’.

“The perfect combination of ambition, intelligence and determination while being likeable all at the same time.

“There are some skills you cannot learn and have to possess to be a business owner and Dimple demonstrated these from a very early age.

“I could see her potential on day one and had an instinct she would go far.”

Responsible for 13 employees, and 500 customer appointments each month, in the first six months of her role at Barnet Specsavers, she increased store sales by more than 3per cent.

Dimple will find out if she has beaten Serena Saunders from Vinura Limited to be crowned Young Business Person of the Year at the SME Hertfordshire Business Awards ceremony on Thursday, July 26.