ORGANISERS of the South Coast Business Awards are looking for the best business leader in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

The Business Leader title is just one of the trophies to be handed out in the awards, which celebrate the business across the area.

The awards bring together big and small businesses, in fields from food to fashion, tourism to technology, employing thousands of people, exporting around the world or helping to attract visitors to our county.

The sponsors Starling Bank, Hampshire Chamber Of Commerce, Utilita, the University Of Southampton and GetSet Solent invite any company whose head office is based in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to enter or to be nominated.

The nominations will be considered by our judging panel and maybe subject to a “mystery shopper” visit by the category sponsor.

The judges will be looking to announce the three finalists in each category on Thursday, September 29, in the Daily Echo and on dailyecho.co.uk A celebratory awards event will take place on Thursday, November 3, at Southampton Football Club’s St Mary’s Stadium.

The winners of each category will receive £250 of advertising in the Daily Echo or on dailyecho.co.uk and will also be featured in the category winners’ coverage in the Daily Echo and on dailyecho.co.uk The Business of the Year Award will be awarded to the overall winner chosen by the judging panel from all the category winners.

Our Business Leader award will be presented to a leader who elevated his or her business or supported the local community.

Do you know a business like this? If so, you can nominate them.

The judges are looking for positive leadership, management and vision. Businesses should be able to demonstrate evidence of positive change in the last 12 months or, have identified a strategy for change in the next 12 months.

Or, you may know someone who you could nominate for one of our other awards:

  • Innovation Excellence Award
  • Service Excellence Award
  • Employer Award Entrepreneur Award
  • Small Business Award
  • New Business Award (opened in the past two years)
  • Mid-Large Business Award
  • Business and the Community Award
  • Use Of Technology Award

You can enter online here.

The closing date for nominations is Thursday, September 8.