A COMMUNITY and business centre is offering fledgling entrepreneurs a helping hand in order to get their companies up and running.

The early stages of any business can be a precarious time and the Rainhall Centre, Rainhall Road, Barnoldswick, has come up with a range of packages to provide help and support.

Ian Longstaff, business development assistant at the centre, said one of the initiatives was giving people the chance to rent one of the seven offices in the building for 10 days a month for £100.

By doing this on a discounted and short-term basis – the arrangement can last no longer than three months – the hope is that it will give people the chance to make up their mind as to whether moving into their own business premises is the right idea.

Ian said: “We are geared up for these smaller types of businesses and for those people currently working from home who can then come and use our facilities.”

The Rainhall Centre has office suites and two art studios that can be used by budding entrepreneurs.

The set up is very much like the enterprise centres that recently opened at Blackburn’s Ewood Park and Burnley’s Turf Moor and it is run by a not-for-profit organisation.

The latest part of this drive has seen the centre team up with Barclays and the Pendle Enterprise Trust to deliver a series of free Let’s Talk Starting in Business seminars, the next one of which is taking place next Monday.

The seminars are open for people to come and chat if they are thinking of starting a business.

Up until the end of September there is still European money available and the centre can advise businesses on how best to apply for Local Enterprise Growth Initiative funding, a cash pot of nearly £24m aimed at slashing unemployment and boosting morale in deprived areas of Hyndburn, Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley and Pendle.

Ian added: “The aim is to help them with the whole process of where they are at and signpost them to funding.

“It’s a chance to come and find out what’s going on and it’s also a very useful networking event.”