Karen Finch, founder of the The Hearing Care Centre, has been named among the finalists in the Entrepreneur of the Year category of the Nectar Small Business Awards.

The contest will be judged by a panel led by businesswoman Karren Brady from BBC1’s The Apprentice.

The competition carries a prize of £2,000 cash and 50,000 Nectar points, with the finalists also being invited to a Nectar Business Round Table event in September where they will have the chance to meet and get business advice from Karren Brady.

Karen Finch created The Hearing Care Centre 15 years ago, with a main base in Ipswich and satellite centres in doctors’ surgeries and health centres around the Suffolk area. In the last two years the company has invested more than £200,000 in larger premises in Ipswich and taken on more staff.

In addition to a full hearing testing and hearing aid service, the company also has initiatives to increase sales of hearing protection equipment for industry and sportsmen. The campaign, “Love your hearing”, promotes safer personal music listening devices for young people and provides hearing services to care homes.

Karen said: “I’m delighted to be shortlisted in the Nectar Business Small Business Awards. One in six people suffer from hearing loss and we are so grateful to be able to offer our services to not only the older generation but to the young generation too.

“Attending the round table and being able to get first hand advice from the likes of Karren Brady about my business would be really valuable in taking us to the next level.”

A spokesman for the awards said: “The standard of entries into the Nectar Business Small Business Awards has been exceptionally high this year and with an 80% increase in the number of entries, competition is clearly fierce.

“The Entrepreneur of the Year award is looking for an exceptional individual who successfully launched and continues to run their own business or businesses. We wish all the shortlisted candidates, including Karen, the best of luck.”