Torbay Mayor, Gordon Oliver, said: “Successful businesses invest in training giving their staff support at all levels and I’m pleased that the TDA’s South West Business Centres are able to provide first-rate resources at the Brixham Sea Works for Karen and Nigel to use for their courses.”

As any business knows, gaining and retaining clients is key. And having run Harbour Business Solutions for 14 years, Karen and Nigel James now plan to share their knowledge with other businesses in the form of training courses.

The business, which concentrates on marketing and telemarketing, currently works with renewable and health sector organisations together with general business to business work.

“I used to work for Auto Trader and got into telesales almost by accident,” said Karen. “I’ve done a lot of work in the financial sector and also business to consumer telesales. I do have regular clients I carry out work for in a range of business sectors. I’ve carried out in-house training courses and now it’s time to expand this and offer courses to other businesses.”

And she explained that the courses will be ideal for small businesses which already have a sales person or those which are planning to take someone on. The courses will be held at the Brixham Sea Works where Karen has previously been a member.

“The facilities are excellent,” said Karen. “It’s a very good working environment. It can be very isolating working from home so was perfect. Deborah who manages the Works is very accommodating.”

Brixham Sea Works is managed by South West Business Centres whose manager, Adrian Sheen, said: ““Brixham’s Sea Works and Torquay’s Harbour Works were set up to provide desk and office space for small businesses and home workers and also provide excellent facilities for meetings, training courses and interviews, so I’m please to see Harbour Business Solutions making full use of our facilities.”

For further information on the courses, contact karen@harbourbusinesssolutions.com

Ends

Notes to editors:

The TDA manages innovation centres at Lymington Road in Torquay and at Bishops Place, Vantage Point and South West Energy Centre in Paignton, alongside the Cockington Court, The Harbour Works in Torquay and Brixham Sea Works; providing office or desk space to small businesses from as little as £138pcm inclusive of gas, electricity, water, telephone/broadband rental and business rates. To find out more about renting space at one of the innovation centres, visit www.swinnovationcentres.co.uk or telephone Innovation Centre Manager, Adrian Sheen on 01803 540 670.

The Lymington Road Innovation Centre in Torquay was funded by: £1.5million from the South West of England Regional Development Agency (RDA) with another £600,000 from the EU Economic Regeneration Development Fund Objective 2, with additional funding from the Single Regeneration Budget and Torbay Council.

Cockington Court has undergone extensive renovation at a cost of £2.85m, part funded by the European Development Fund, Torbay Council and CABE, transforming the former aristocratic home into office space, craft studios and function rooms.

The European Regional Development Fund South West Competitiveness and Employment Programme 2007-2013 is managed by the Department for Communities and Local Government. The programme of investment from the European Union is helping to increase the prosperity of the region through supporting enterprise and individuals to develop ideas and plans that contribute to increased productivity and competitiveness. The total amount of investment across the seven-year programme is £108,751,309. The funding for the Cockington renovation from the European Regional Development Fund South West Competitiveness and Employment Programme as part of the Torbay Strategic Investment Framework is £1,134,113.