A European business grant has ensured a business will stay in the region - safeguarding 18 jobs.
The Supporting Innovations Service (SIS) was launched yesterday, offering grants of up to £3,500 to companies in rural areas of the UK that employ fewer than 250 people.
One of the first beneficiaries was The Teapottery, in Leyburn, North Yorkshire, which has used two separate grants to fund the appointment of a marketing consultant and a ceramics consultant.
Managing director Nigel Corp said without them, he would have had to pull out of the UK to cut costs.
He said: "It was getting to the stage that if things did not change, we may have had to move the manufacturing side of the business abroad and that would have resulted in the loss of 18 jobs.
"When you are working on tight margins like ours it is difficult to pay £14,000 to employ two consultants."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article