DO you know an inspirational leader who has elevated his or her business or supported the local community?

If so, you could nominate that person for the Business Leader title in this year’s South Coast Business Awards.

The awards celebrate business excellence among all the sectors that make up the Hampshire and Isle of Wight economy.

Businesses entering for the award should be able to demonstrate evidence of positive change in the past 12 months, or a strategy for change in the next 12 months.

The awards’ principal sponsor, law firm Dutton Gregory, invites any company whose head office is based in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to enter or to be nominated.

Nominations will be considered by our judging panel and entrants may be subject to a “mystery shopper” visit by the category sponsor.

The judges will be looking to announce the three finalists in each category in the Daily Echo.

All three category finalists, plus one guest each, will be invited to join their category sponsors at the awards ceremony at the home of the Saints, St Mary’s Stadium, where the winners will be announced.

The ceremony is scheduled to take place on Thursday, November 12.

The winners of each category will receive £250 of advertising in the Daily Echo or on dailyecho.co.uk.

They will also be featured in the category winners’ coverage in the Daily Echo and online at dailyecho.co.uk.

The awards ceremony will also see one company crowned Business of the Year Award.

This overall winner will be chosen by the judging panel from all the category winners.

The other categories in the awards are:

n Innovation Excellence Award

n Service Excellence Award

n Employer Award

n Entrepreneur Award

n Small Business Award

n Business in the Community Award

n Best Use Of Technology Award

n Best New Business

You can submit your award entry online at dailyecho.co.uk/awards

The closing date for nominations is Monday, August 31.