BUSINESSES set up across the region during the recession are doing well, according to new figures.

Banking giant Barclays says that around one in ten companies in Staffordshire and one in 12 in Stoke-on-Trent that have been set up during the last three years are achieving £100,000 turnover.

According to Barclays, 8.5 per cent of new firms in Stoke-on-Trent are already achieving annual sales of £100,000, while that figure rises to 10.5 per cent across Staffordshire. The highest percentage in the region was 12 per cent in Solihull, near Birmingham, while the lowest was 4.9 per cent in Telford and Wrekin.

Sharon Harding, Barclays Business area manager for Staffordshire, said: "Many of us secretly hope to run our own business and escape from nine to five employment. These figures show that dream is realistic, and starting your own business can offer a credible, financially alternative to working for another employer.

"What makes this so extraordinary is that these businesses are 'recession babies' – born, grown and succeeding in the current markets. Clearly, there are a lot of opportunities out there for start-ups which our entrepreneurs are aggressively going after.

"Even if your ambition isn't to reach the financial stratosphere, there are many, many businesses providing their owners with a good income below a £100,000 turnover."

Business partners Alan Turner and Russell Kinsey launched Laser Line Golf in Alsager last year to market the Plaser, a practice golf club which uses lasers to help players improve their swing.

The pair have invested more than £120,000 in the project, supported by Barclays, and say they have big ambitions for the business in spite of continuing economic uncertainties.

The Plaser has already featured in golfing magazines and the Gadget Show on Channel Five as well as attracting glowing testimonies from a number of professionals.

Alan said: "We have high hopes for the future. There are more than 4.5 million golfers in the UK and every one of them would want to improve their golf swing so we hope to have a very promising future."

Sharon added that people who believe they have a viable business plan should have the courage of their convictions.

She said: "The record numbers of start-up businesses is partly the 'Dragon's Den' effect – seeing inspirational people on television who are following their business dreams. We're also seeing a new generation of young entrepreneurs who have learned about business at school, which is exactly as it should be. Others are entrepreneurs through necessity, as their situation means they can't get salaried employment.

"The cost of starting a business today can be extraordinarily low. Many businesses exist just with an electronic shop window, rather than a high street presence. They work and trade online, and customers could just as easily be in Sydney as Stone."

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