14/10/09 Welsh dragon takes Denbighshire businesses under his wing

A WELSH business "dragon" is heading a ground-breaking project to boost small rural businesses which has been launched for the first time in the county.

Uno - Welsh for together - will promote rural Denbighshire's micro companies and one of the region's top business brains is backing it.

Entrepreneur Norman Jones used to head Wrexham-based Withersdale Plastics but now he's lending his skills to help small companies develop their own big ideas as part of the £238,000 project.

He heads up Uno's seven-strong team of business gurus and also acts as an advisor for Xenos, a business service for Wales which introduces investors to companies who are prepared, in return, to offer an equity share in the business - Wales's very own Dragons Den.

He said: "The idea is to bring big business marketing and promotion to rural Denbighshire's micro-businesses, those that employ fewer than ten people, and there are at least 840 of them.

"This will market rural Denbighshire in a way that has never happened before and can bring massive benefits to the area."

The project, which is backed by rural development agency Cadwyn Clwyd and by Denbighshire County Council, will identify and set up clusters of similar businesses and help them develop new markets.

The project is funded by the European Agricultural Fund and the Welsh Assembly Government.

One of the first business clusters aims to make the most of the county's stunning landscape and natural resources by cashing in on a growing trend in big business.

Project Officer Helen Booth said: "We're looking at outdoor activity companies and helping them target the corporate spend - the companies that send their executives on outdoor courses to promote team-building and leadership.

"Despite the recession this market has grown by three per cent in the last year because companies are looking for new ways to reward staff."

Norman Jones added: "We are also looking at arts and crafts and the creative industries to perhaps create other clusters which can then access the sorts of expertise we can offer them.

"The project aims to encourage and support small businesses to adopt marketing tools that will help them secure investment.

"It's a no-lose situation for them - they are getting a service which they have never had before and it's not costing them anything.

"We're also hoping the area's larger businesses will also lend their support to the project because strengthening rural Denbighshire's economy really does benefit all of the community."