Marc McGerty, Manager of Moyle Enterprise Company stated: "Moyle is an excellent place to start a new business, or to grow and expand an existing business, and over the past year we have had hundreds of enquiries, most of them really imaginative and innovative, and we have helped all of these people explore their business idea and opportunity."

Anne Marie Doherty, the Development Manager with Moyle Enterprise Company, has worked with all of these businesses and she believes that Moyle is one of the more creative and entrepreneurial areas of Northern Ireland.

"We have several programmes and initiatives that can help people turn that idea into a business. One of our key programmes, the Start a Business Programme is excellent, and not only helps people explore and test their business idea, but also helps budding entrepreneurs develop the skills required to start and grow their business.

"We know that there is plenty of room for new businesses and we know that there are plenty of people with plenty of ideas that can be turned into full-time and part-time businesses. We also know that entrepreneurs that participate on the programme survive longer and grow quicker, making more profits, more quickly than businesses who don't get support on the programme.

"The Start a Business Programme is FREE and offers people who are thinking of starting a chance to explore their idea and to develop their business and management skills needed for the venture. On the programme you get appointed a business adviser who can confidentially help you investigate your idea. The budding entrepreneur is then taken onto a "Start a Business" training course, and when this is completed a business plan is developed to help identify any obstacles or issues that the business may face. The adviser will also help access start up finance and funding that may be required for the business to start." Anne Marie concluded.

The Start a Business Programme is funded by Invest NI and Moyle District Council, and anyone thinking of starting a business should contact Anne Marie Doherty on 028 2076 3737 or call into Moyle Enterprise Centre, 61 Leyland Road, Ballycastle BT54 6EZ.