A HAMPSHIRE company is going for gold in the Basingstoke business Awards and bidding to scoop the Barclays Asset Finance Small Business of the Year trophy for the second consecutive year.

When Jonathan Grant, founder and managing director of Premier Business Audio, won the 2002 Small Business Award, his company had a turnover of £750,000 and a staff of just 14 people.

Now is he looking for the double and has already sent in his application for the 2003 Small Business of the Year Award.

The company won the award as On Hold Services but has since rebranded. It now has a turnover of £1.5million and a staff of 21, which is still growing rapidly.

The company, which only moved to Hampshire a couple of years ago, is still based in barns at Laverstoke Grange but has taken around another 1,000sqft of space to now occupy 4,500sqft.

Mr Grant said: "The business award has been marvellous for public relations locally and nationally, and, in terms of employing, gives real credibility that we are a decent company."

Since attending the gala dinner for the 2002 awards, Mr Grant even has two of the other shortlisted companies as his clients.

His 2,000-name client base now includes TDC, the winner of the Gazette-sponsored 2002 Business in the Community Award, and Great Guns Marketing, the firm founded by Liz Jackson and a fellow finalist in the Small Business category.

Premier Business Audio has become the country's leading on-hold and call management supplier, and Mr Grant said: "Ten per cent of callers will hang up if left in silence for longer than 40 seconds and 34 per cent will not call back.

"This represents a significant loss in potential revenue for UK businesses not realising that, by not making the comparatively small investment in appropriate call management systems, they are reducing the marketing activities and wasting a percentage of their budget before they even get the chance to speak with the customer."

He believes in dynamic, powerful and interesting call management systems having an enormous impact on customer perception, customer service and relationships.

So Premier Business Audio specialises in designing and producing on-hold music, call option systems and publicity messages to increase business conversion rates.

Mr Grant, who is taking on between 50 and 75 new clients a month, said: "There is a variety of different systems available so companies like ours are highly flexible and can deliver a solution to any firm with a telephone system - regardless of it having one, five or several thousand sites and employees."

In January, the company opened an office in Manchester and is now looking at what Mr Grant believes could be a massive market in the North East of England and Scotland.

In his application for this year's Small Business of the Year Award, Mr Grant has said: "We have had a marvellous year as your 2002 Small Business of the Year.

"It has proved a real catalyst for the team and has spurred us on to much greater things which I hope will make us a worthy applicant for this year's award."

The closing date for nominations for the six categories of the 2003 Basingstoke Business Awards is November 14, and a gala dinner for finalists will be held at Milestones in February.

Application forms are available from award sponsors, online at www.basingstoke.gov.uk/business/ awards or by ringing Anne Jackson on 07717 128682 for information.

Up for grabs are: Barclays Asset Finance Small Business of the Year Award

Gazette Newspapers Business in the Community Award

Carbon Trust Environment Award

Hampshire County Council New Business of the Year Award

HSBC Contribution to the Economy Award

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council Business Excellence Through People Award.