Two Sussex firms are fighting it out for the title of Britain's best new venture.

Ardingly-based Community Alerts Ltd and The Chauffeur Magazine, launched by Eastbourne entrepreneur Paul Gibson, have reached the final of the HSBC Start-Up Stars Awards, a competition open to all companies less than two years old.

They will be up against 18 other businesses, with the eventual winners pocketing a £20,000 cheque.

The news shocked Mr Gibson, 29, who set up the magazine after quitting his job at a newspaper in 2002 to spend a year on the road chauffeuring senior executives in luxury limousines.

Realising there was no central source of information for the growing chauffeuring industry, he saw a gap in the market and The Chauffeur Magazine was launched in December last year.

Now Mr Gibson edits, plans, distributes and even designs most of the bi-monthly publication, which now sells 10,000 copies to chauffeurs across the UK and in the USA, Australia and Russia.

He said: "I'm a bit surprised to be nominated to be honest because I never thought the business would make that much of an impression. It was my idea and just me running the company so I can't believe I've been named among the best new businesses in the country."

Mr Gibson puts his achievements down to a strong belief in his product.

He said: "I have had a lot of confidence in the magazine and had no doubt it would work when I came up with the idea."

Community Alerts Ltd's innovative service aims to reunite lost children with their parents quicker than ever before.

Under the brand name Child Safe Zone, the company works alongside tourist attractions, police and local authorities to ensure information is passed out to all the relevant people should a child go missing.

It was set up by Paul Kent, 35, and Richard Manville, 41, who used their backgrounds in mobile communication technology to make full use of voicemail, text and picture messaging technology to give parents piece of mind.

Mr Kent: "Most venues in the UK have a missing child policy but we found most people don't know what it is. We hope Child Safe Zone will become recognised around the country so every parent will know what to do if their child gets lost."

HSBC judges will announce ten finalists for the awards in August.

They will share prizes worth more than £65,000, with the winners and runner-up being named before an audience of 300 businessmen and women at London's Savoy Hotel on October 7.

Monday July 19, 2004