A NEW initiative to support and encourage businesswomen in Bury and North Manchester will be launched today (Fri Jan 18).

Bolton Business Ventures is staging the unveiling of Women in Business North Manchester.

The event, at Bolton Business Centre, will hopefully result in the first loans from the new £700,000 Fund for Women in Business being made.

Women in Business is a new service to promote entrepreneurship among women in North Manchester. The scheme has been developed by Bolton Business Ventures and is financed by the Small Business Service, Phoenix Fund, Business Link North Manchester and Barclays.

Women taking advantage of the initiative can receive assistance from a dedicated team of business advisers.