BUSINESS is booming in two Ryedale towns, with the opening of an advice centre for people looking to set up in the area.

The Malton and Norton centre has its official launch next week, but entrepreneurs have already been taking full advantage of its facilities since it opened to the public six months ago.

Business information officer Lynne Carter said staff had been delighted at the response they received.

"We thought it might be a bit slow to start off, but it has been going very well, and we have been full up with appointments over the last few weeks," she said.

The business advice centre has been funded from a variety of sources, including the Malton and Norton Area Partnership, Yorkshire Forward and The Countryside Agency, who have all worked in conjunction with local business support agencies.

Norman Whyte, chief executive of York, Selby & Malton Business Advice Centres Ltd, said: "This is one of the first major projects to be funded through the Market Towns Initiative and intends to provide first class business advice and support to would-be and existing entrepreneurs in the Malton and Norton area."

Mrs Carter said people from all different sections of the business community had called in to seek their advice.

"The business advice centre is here to help people with anything they really need to know, such as legal and practical advice, research, help with writing a business plan," she said.

"We give free advice to people thinking of setting up businesses, but we can also help established businesses, by having a look at how well a business is doing, which way they can go, giving them a diagnosis."

Susan Cross, who recently opened up her own soft furnishing business, Domestic Bliss, on Saville Street, Malton, said the help she was given proved invaluable.

"I went to the bank and they were the ones who suggested I go for business advice," she said.

"I had an appointment with one of the business centre's advisers, Jim Forrest, and if I was stuck with anything he helped out.

"He took all the headaches away."

Mrs Cross added: "The people at the business advice centre want people to make a success of it - they said it did not matter how many times I went to them for help, they would still help me out if I was stuck."

The official launch takes place at The Green Man, in Malton, on Wednesday October 2, with exhibitions from business support agencies on display from 3pm.

Updated: 08:25 Tuesday, September 24, 2002