THE Ely Business Hub has helped its fiftieth business on the road to success less than a year after it was launched.

The Hub, the brainchild of East Cambridgeshire District Council; entrepreneur Peter Dawe and Simon Crosland from Business Link has helped and encouraged people from all over the district to develop their business ideas.

The latest company is The Fen Paddle Company and was given help and advice from Peter Dawe.

Roland Gurner, owner of The Fen Paddle Company, said: “After a really successful launch, we knew it was important to continue to develop the company and keep the momentum we have built up going. That is why we got in touch with the Ely Business Hub, to see what help they could give us to help us expand. Peter Dawe was great in helping us to identify areas where we could expand the business and is fantastic person to learn from. This year has been fantastic for us at Fen Paddle and with the support of the Business Hub the future looks even rosier.”

Darren Hill, who is team leader of Business Development at East Cambs District Council, added: “To have helped 50 businesses in less than a year, the Ely Business Hub is proving to be the economic driver we knew it could be. The success of the hub is down to the hard work and commitment of all of those involved. From the private sector entrepreneurs giving advice, to the help we can give with things like office space. I believe we have a great package available to help anyone grow and expand their business. There are still tough times ahead for anyone wanting to develop a business, but we are here to help as many people as we can succeed.”

The Ely Business Hub can give one-to-one business advice, help with the use of free office space in Ely and provide access to the region’s leading start-up champions. The Hub has created a business network for new companies to talk through ideas, gain access to the latest information and give support.

INFO: For information on how the Ely Business Hub works, telephone: 01353 644144 or go to: www.espaceely.com/mian/ely-business-hub