The Enterprising Spirit is Alive and Well in Peterhead

Enterprise North East Trust (Enterprise) today, Monday 22^nd August, announces their results in terms of new business starts, as part of the Business Gateway contract, for the first quarter of their 2005/2006 financial year. In total Enterprise has assisted 286 new businesses to start between 1 April 2005 and 30 June 2005. On average this equates to 3 new businesses per day.

Chris Travis, Chief Executive of Enterprise North East Trust comments, "The Business Gateway service, accessed through Enterprise North East Trust, is a valuable resource to those looking to start their own business and this is borne out by the number of new businesses that we have assisted to date. Enterprise provide business advice, strategic direction and focused training along with access to managed workspace to new and growing businesses and we will continue to strive to provide these businesses with the support that they need in order to ensure that as many of them as possible are still trading in year three and beyond."

Between 1 April 2005 and 30 June 2005 Enterprise assisted 286 businesses with the start up process. In terms of geographical areas 50% of the new businesses are based in Aberdeen with the remaining 50% located in and around the North East area in locations including Aboyne, Banchory, Inverurie, Peterhead, Stonehaven and Turriff. The largest concentration of new businesses assisted by Enterprise occurred in Peterhead and Inverurie with these locations accounting for 29% and 42% respectively of the new starts.

With regard to the male female split of the new starts in the second quarter of 2005, 45% of the businesses were started by women. Of the business started in Aboyne women are responsible for 56% of the new businesses assisted by Enterprise. This trend is reversed in Aberdeen, Inverurie and Peterhead. Of the businesses started within Aberdeen just less than half of these, 48%, were started by women. The proportion of women starting businesses in Inverurie and Peterhead decreased to 39%.

Note to Editors

Enterprise delivers the Business Gateway contract on behalf of Scottish Enterprise Grampian.

The Business Gateway is a single-brand access-point for all services from all business support agencies, including the Scottish Enterprise Network, Local Authorities, Scottish Executive, and other partner organisations.