'Have you ever dreamed of being your own boss?'

Have you ever dreamed of being your own boss? Of running your own company?

Did you spend your beach holiday daydreaming about becoming a dot.com billionaire, or maybe the next Richard Branson? Or maybe your ambitions are a little closer to home, and you dream of running your own sandwich shop, garage or dressmakers?

Well, if you have a business idea, an entrepreneurial spirit, and feel like taking the plunge, there are Government-funded organisations in the North East, like Business Link and One NorthEast, that are here to help.

Since 1997, Business Link has helped more than 150,000 small businesses to develop and market their products, helping to increase profits and create new jobs

So, what could Business Link do for you?

Well, if you have an idea for a business, the team at Business Link could help you to turn your dream into reality. Business Link advisers can help you to develop a viable business plan, and help you navigate your way around the funding schemes available to small businesses. There are a huge range of financial incentives and assistance schemes available to small companies in the Borough, covering everything from advertising and marketing, business equipment and premises, to recruitment and training and new technology and innovative working practices. Also available is advice on business finance, VAT, tax and national Insurance.

South Tyneside Council also offers a great deal of support to the Borough's entrepreneurs - did you know that the Council organise subsidised biannual trade missions to our twin towns of Epinay sur Seine and Noisy le Sec in France, and Wuppertal in Germany? These missions help our businesses here in South Tyneside to develop valuable overseas trade links making it easier form them to export their products. Under Labour, for every £1 spent on promoting British Businesses overseas, the country gains £10 in profits.

However, the Council does more than help our local companies reach overseas markets. It also offers confidential business advice, public relations advise, and can help financially, by offering Business Start Up and Business Expansion grants. Also on offer are Youth Employment Grants, which have helped local companies take on more of our young people, contributing to the fall in youth unemployment in the Borough. In April 1997, there were 520 young people who had been without a job for 6 months or longer. By February of this year, that figure had dropped to 115.

TEDCO also offer valuable help to small businesses, with their managed workspace units offering low rent accommodation ideal for small or new businesses, business counseling and advice, and practical tips in getting your business idea off the ground.

We can have a bright economic future here in South Tyneside, but we need to be proactive and take advantage of our own entrepreneurial skills and spirit. The support networks and services exist in the Borough, now what we need is for more local people to be prepared to take a chance and turn their good ideas into thriving businesses.

Who knows - take a chance and turn your dream into reality, and next year's summer holiday could be in the Seychelles instead