HELPING businesses to help themselves!

That's enterprising Tottington businesswoman Alison Hornsby, who has overcome adversity to "go it alone" and forge a new career.

She has bounced back after a separate company of which she was a director was forced into liquidation.

Now, the single parent is making great strides after establishing her own company to promote nationally accredited work-based learning programmes for small and medium-size (SME) businesses.

She has launched Evers Enterprises Ltd with a £1,000 Working for Myself grant, courtesy of Bury Council's Single Regeneration Budget.

Previously, the firm Alison used to be a director of had to shut because of a cash-flow crisis. "That developed as a result of late payments from Government-funded organisations, such as national training organisations.

"As a lone parent, it was critical that I get back to work as soon as possible, so I decided to try to set up a business of my own."

Working with a friend, Tracey Robinson, Alison has linked in with public sector provider Accrington and Rossendale College and is targeting businesses with more than ten employees.

The Tottington woman's company is geared towards helping them with staff development programmes and to establish what she terms as "a spirit of continuous professional development."

Alison explained: "Because we are a SME ourselves, with experience of both the public and private sector, we are able to act as the interface for the college.

"Yet we understand the real practical needs related to running a small business.

"Because I live in Tottington, I am piloting the project in the Bury area. We have started with a child-care sector and already we are having some positive feedback."

Good news is that Alison's business, which operates between her Beryl Avenue home and and a newly-opened office in Manchester, has just secured its first client.

Underlining the services Evers Enterprises offer, Evers is her maiden name, she continued: "We can arrange for a delivery of a range of programmes including management, customer service, care services, personal development, health and safety and risk assessment.

"The business benefits from having the training delivered on-the-job and, therefore, no time is lost in attending the college."

Individuals undergo continuous professional development and additional nationally-recognised qualifications to enhance their CV.

Alison concluded: "Our first client is CAN Community Action Network. This is a great piece of news as they endorse all the work I am trying to promote, the development of entrepreneurs."