AN organisation set up as an experiment to get more women into business in York and North Yorkshire can keep up its good work for years to come.

The Women In Enterprise pilot project, which has been encouraging and supporting women entrepreneurs in the region for a little more than a year, has been given the go ahead to continue until March 2008 by its backers at Yorkshire Forward, the regional development agency.

Laura Morrison, project manager, who has operated the scheme under the banner of York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, said: "We are thrilled. It is an endorsement of the work we have been doing as the first point of contact for women wanting to prove themselves in the business world."

Since starting on the project in July last year, Mrs Morrison has worked with 108 women who were thinking of starting, or developing, a business.

Working with her and other business support agencies, 18 of them started their own ventures and continue to be carefully monitored and offered help and advice with regular "signposting" from Women In Enterprise.

These have generated 37 jobs throughout North Yorkshire

Some of the 18 have also been eligible for pound for pound matching cash help.

"Apart from steering them towards providers of training, finance, legal and networking opportunities, we also in some cases can establish through coaching whether we can financially help them with personal or business development."

Now Laura is recruiting two personal coaches and an administrator to create a four-person team to cope with the greater demand expected between now and 2008.

"There is definitely a need out there. There is so much business support that can be confusing. They need a port of call which can help them focus their energies on tailored support," she said.

The new plans will include an annual conference for women to be held in North Yorkshire.

"We shall do our market research to fine tune the business support we can give them."

Updated: 10:34 Tuesday, October 04, 2005