NASHUA – If you only order flowers from Collins, or you swear by the auto service at Romie’s, now’s your chance to spread the word of the supreme service available in Greater Nashua, and to thank your favorite businesses for the quality products they provide.

The Telegraph’s “Best of Greater Nashua” survey, open to voters through Sept. 24, will separate the good from the great, as readers get a chance to vote once a day, as many days as they want, for their favorite local businesses in town.

The “Best of Greater Nashua” contest launches for the first time this year as a revamped version of the Telegraph’s former “Reader’s Choice,” awards, said Shana Hoch, the newspaper’s vice president of digital media.

“Prior to the ‘Best of Greater Nashua’ we’ve done the ‘Reader’s Choice’ awards and they slowly died out over time and the interest was not there,” Hoch said. “In the past year or two, we’ve been asked to do it again and this seemed like good timing, when people are really interested in shopping local and supporting local business owners, it seemed like a good time to recognize the great work they provide and the great food they have to offer.”

The “Best of Greater Nashua” contest is The Telegraph’s most interactive people’s choice award yet, Hoch said. Throughout August, The Telegraph invited readers to nominate businesses for recognition in five major areas, designated as “Retail Therapy,” “Great Food,” “Great Drinks,” “Get ’R Done (Services),” and “Get Out Feel Good.”

Nominations were open to businesses from any of the towns The Telegraph covers, including Nashua, Hudson, Merrimack, Amherst, Brookline, Hollis, Milford, Litchfield, Greenville/Mason, Lyndeborough, Mont Vernon and Wilton.

Any business receiving 50 or more nominations is on the final ballot vying to be named the best, Hoch said. There is no write-in option on the final ballot.

It’s up to Greater Nashua customers to do the rest. Voters can mail in a hard copy of the “Best of Greater Nashua” ballot to The Telegraph, available in the daily paper about three times a week, Hoch said.

The online ballot is also available at www.nashuatelegraph.com/BestofNashua.

Voters don’t have to select favorites in all 75 categories, which include best Vietnamese food, best barbershop, best electrician and best veterinarian, but in order for votes to count, at least 10 categories must be completed.

Voters can come from anywhere, even outside Greater Nashua, for those who have moved to other areas, but can still taste the Boston sports sandwiches at the Nashua Garden and have yet to find better chicken nachos than La Caretta’s.

“If they’re in California and they have a strong affection for a business in Greater Nashua, they can vote,” Hoch said.

A week into the contest, more than 1,500 people have voted already.

“I think that people generally like to share their opinion about local businesses, that’s why reviews are so popular,” Hoch said. “They like to suggest restaurants or plumbers if they’ve had a good experience there, and there’s a big shop-local initiative, especially with the economy the way it is.”

The winner will get a chance to be called the Best of Greater Nashua by people’s choice, and use The Telegraph’s award logo to promote their business, Hoch said.

There will also be an exclusive pullout edition announcing the winners in The Telegraph on Nov. 8.

For businesses like P & L Landscaping of Merrimack, a nominee in both the “Best Garden Store” and “Best Landscaper” categories, the Greater Nashua nod would be huge, said Karen Garland, P & L’s landscape designer and office manager.

“It really helps us,” Garland said, “In terms of being aware that our customers are satisfied with the service that we’re giving them, and they keep coming back and referring other customers. It helps us to know we must be doing right, especially in this economy when everybody is floundering in difficult times.”

Nashua’s Riverwalk Coffee House and Cafe, a nominee in the “Best Coffee” category, is also excited to be in the running for “Best of Greater Nashua,” owner Steve Ruddock said.

“It’s awesome,” Ruddock said. “People are pleased with our coffee that we roast here on site. Almost all the coffee shops bring in coffee from outside the facility that they’re in, but we’re roasting it here, fresh, every week.”

P & L Landscaping is already encouraging voters to get active through e-mails and their Facebook page, and plans on advertising the contest from their company billboard.

“Our customers are great, and they keep coming back to us,” Garland said. “They also refer a lot of business to us, so without them we couldn’t be where we are today.”

Ruddock said he’d be utilizing the popular social media site as well to get the word out.

“It would be a nice recognition,” Ruddock said. “The ownership here is 1 year old now, so that would be a nice accomplishment.”

To vote for your favorite, visit www.nashuatelegraph.com/BestofNashua once a day, every day, until Sept. 24.

Maryalice Gill can be reached at 594-6490 or mgill@nashuatelegraph.com. Follow her on Twitter at Telegraph_MAG.

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