IT'S the perennial question which has divided Bury company bosses for years: what is the biggest single issue facing businesses today?

The answer, according to captains of industry in Bury, Bolton, Oldham, Rochdale and Wigan, is marketing, development and new business. That was the most important issue to emerge at the conclusion of an electronic vote, conducted at the launch of Business Link North Manchester.

The event, at the Village Hotel in Heap Bridge, Bury, highlighted and defined a range of issues facing businesses in the five towns which Business Link North Manchester will serve.

Each delegate was given an electronic keypad and asked to register his or her response to a wide range of business-related questions and statements.

These embraced such topics as the Euro, the threat or otherwise of a global recession, finance, business performance, advice and help, outlook for the future and competition. BBC TV presenter Gordon Burns hosted the two-hour event which calculated, presented and analysed the electronic data.

The results disclosed 75 per cent feared a global recession was imminent, while 64 per cent of delegates felt they faced an uncertain future.

And 49 per cent favoured a Single European Currency, with 51 per cent against, while 66 per cent indicated Britain should keep the pound.

From these questions and results, a top ten of important business issues was compiled from which the biggest single concern was identified.

Although marketing, development and new business was the single most important issue, others which were highlighted included poor financial control and getting paid, lack of strategy and keeping customers.

Later, Business Link North Manchester chief executive Mr Peter Morton said: "We have managed to carry out in one day a piece of research which will provide the backbone of our service delivery plans for the future.

"We can build upon those plans, entirely around the needs of businesses as they have expressed them through this remarkably well-supported event, and the various types of research we have carried out in the build up to it."

Business Link North Manchester can be contacted on 0845 608 3388.