The government-backed awards, now in their fourth year, are supported by Jobcentre Plus and The Prince's Trust.

They recognise men and women who have overcome various barriers and battled against the odds to positively change their lives by setting up in business.

Julie Woods, from Huntingdon, who started Mystic Charms last year, is now hoping to go on to scoop the top prize worth more than £13,000 at a prestigious black tie awards dinner in London, on October 7.

As a busy single mum, Julie never seemed to have enough time to pursuer her own ambitions.

In 2001, at the age of 42, she was diagnosed with a rare brain condition. Following an exhausting eight hours of surgery, complications lead to a serious infection and meningitis, which left Julie fighting for her life.

Her recovery was slow, leaving her dependent on benefits and unable to work.

Despite her confidence being at an all time low, she summoned up the courage to do something about her situation and was determined to generate an income that was not dependent on her illness.

The internet provided the perfect platform for Julie's new business Mystic Charm – an online new age specialist.

Being her own boss not only provided Julie with financial freedom, but also gave her the motivation and confidence to tackle any problem head-on.

Mystic Charm continues to grow successfully and now boasts more than 400 members.

Barclays marketing director for local business, John Davis, a judge on the panel, said: "The

Trading Places Awards honour unsung heroes who, in spite of disadvantages or personal challenges, have taken steps to grow their own sustainable business and in doing so have transformed their prospects for the better.

"The calibre of this year's entries is really outstanding and we hope that with this recognition Mystic Charms will continue on the road to success.

"We also hope Julie's story will inspire other budding entrepreneurs in the east of England, who face similar difficulties in there private lives, to come forward and turn their own business dreams into reality."

Other supporters of the awards are the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), The National Federation of Enterprise Agencies (NFEA) and Microsoft.

The judging panel includes Big Issue founder and editor-in-chief John Bird and The Sun's business editor Ian King.

The panel will go on to select the 10 National Finalists who will attend the glittering gala dinner in London at the Marriott Hotel in Grosvenor Square, London, on October 7.

Each will be awarded £1,100 worth of desktop software by Microsoft.

The winner will receive a further £2,300 worth of Microsoft server software.

In addition, the winner and runner-up, to be announced on the night, will receive £10,000 and £5,000 respectively, courtesy of Barclays.