THERE were no worries when Sharon Davies wanted to set up a new business helping people with anxiety issues. Because a new initiative between Worcestershire County Council and Community Catalysts aimed at stimulating the development and growth of micro-enterprises in the health and social care sectors came to her aid.

Mrs Davies, who lives at Bransford, near Worcester, explained: "I’d just come back from New Zealand and I had a business idea; I wanted to set up a website called Anxious about Anxiety and help people with emotional freedom techniques, which is an alternative and complimentary therapy. I knew that is what I wanted to do but I did not know where to start."

After asking friends and contacts for some business advice she heard about Chris Clarke, micro-enterprise project co-ordinator for Worcestershire County Council and Community Catalysts, who was able to point her in the right direction.

"I call Chris the oracle," said Mrs Davies, "because it doesn’t matter what support I needed, whether it was a copy editor, help with my business plan or whether it was networking, I was able to email Chris. "Even at times when I was feeling a bit despondent and demotivated I got a call from her which would pick me up for the day asking me how far I’d got and what I was focusing on and what I still needed to do so she kept me inspired and motivated along the way."

Her website is now live and can be viewed at http://anxiousaboutanxiety.com The micro-enterprise project ended in February but is now being evaluated and further updates will be available soon. For more information see http://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/microenterpriseproject