FOUNDER of Birmingham-based business, Sign Solutions, Sean Nicholson, has beaten hundreds of small businesses to be shortlisted in the national Nectar Business Small Business Awards 2014.

Sign Solutions is weeks away from finding out if it will win the Contribution to the Community category, which is open to a public vote via the Nectar Business facebook page.

The awards celebrate the achievements of small businesses and business people across the UK. If successful, Mr Nicholson will win £2,000 cash, 50,000 Nectar points and the title. He wouls also be invited to the Nectar Business Round Table event, which will take place in September, where he will meet and get business advice from judge and star of BBC1’s The Apprentice, Karren Brady.

Sign Solutions offers a nationwide British Sign Language interpretation service for deaf people across the UK. This year, the organisation launched InterpretersLive! - a platform which allows deaf users to access the interpretation service via video link from their desktops, tablets or smartphones.

Mr Nicholson said: “Sign Solutions is delighted to be shortlisted for the Nectar Business Small Business Awards. Attending the round table and being able to get first hand advice from the likes of Karren Brady about our business would be really valuable in taking us to the next level.

"The £2,000 prize money and 50,000 Nectar points will be used to train interpreters and further educate the deaf community about our new InterpretersLive! service.”

Ms Brady is encouraging the public to visit the Nectar Business facebook (facebook.com/nectarbusiness) page to vote for the businesses.

She said: “We have narrowed down the vast amount of entries received and now need the public’s support to judge which small business deserves to be crowned the winner of the Contribution to the Community Award.

“Each shortlisted business has demonstrated something special in the way they work and that’s one of the reasons they stood out from all the hundreds of entries we received this year in the Nectar Business Small Business Awards.

"Being shortlisted is no mean feat - it is an accolade that has been hotly contested over the past six years.”

Will Shuckburgh, managing director of Nectar, added: “After six years of running these awards we know that while the businesses may be small the results we celebrate are big.

"SMEs are the backbone of the UK economy and we are constantly impressed by the market-leading ideas these awards showcase as well as the calibre of leadership that is highlighted. I'd urge every small business to get involved and shout about their success.

“This year there has been a 21 per cent increase in the number of entries, so competition is strong.

"The Contribution to the Community Awards looks for a small business, social enterprise or charity able to demonstrate a strong positive impact in the local community. We wish all the shortlisted candidates, including Sign Solutions Ltd, the best of luck.”

The other categories include Small Business of the Year, Homegrown Business of the Year, Innovation of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year, which will be judged by a panel of business specialists, including Ms Brady, Mr Shuckburgh, Nathan Palmer of BOC, Richard Carvell of Viking and 2013 winner and founder of Goody Good Stuff, Melissa Burton.