
George Derbyshire said figures from Barclays show that in the first quarter of this year almost 100,000 new businesses opened, which he insisted was a "very strong performance".
His colleagues around the country have also received a positive level of enquiries from those looking to start their own business, he added.
"The straws in the wind are not totally discouraging in regard to the start-up market," said Mr Derbyshire, pointing out that if there is a rise in unemployment, as is expected, this could encourage "another flow of new starts".
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And he said that while no business sector is immune from the current economic downturn, the success of a start-up will ultimately depend on the "skills and energy" of the managers and those who own the business.







