THE success of a Bournemouth company in tapping new export markets has been held up by the government as an example to others.

The government set out at the weekend its plans to make it easier for small business to grow and create jobs.

Its strategy, Small Business: Great Ambition, was launched to coincide with Small Business Saturday.

The case studies highlighted by the government included Think Research, an air traffic management consultancy in Bournemouth.

Think Research, which supplies many of the world’s air traffic service providers, had a strong reputation in Europe and was keen to break into new markets.

It signed up to the UK Trade and Investment’s (UKTI) Passport to Export programme. The scheme provides new and inexperienced exporters with free capability assessments, support in visiting potential markets, mentoring from a local export professional, customised and subsidised training and ongoing support.

Think Research director Rob Waggitt said: “UKTI helped us move outside our core comfort zone into markets we previously believed would be too complex to do business in.

“Now, the Middle East, Turkey and India have become key to our growth and development and we have also been able to exploit the further potential in markets closer to home. Business has more than doubled over the last 18 months and UKTI’s support has been integral to this success.”

In the south west, small businesses represent 60 per cent of private sector employment, with 464,200 small firms employing more than a million people.

The government’s announcements on small business at the weekend included: an agreement with energy firms to end auto-rollovers for business customers, limit ‘back-billing’, increase transparency of contract terms and make switching easier; implementing recommendations from Lord Young to make it simpler for small firms to win public sector contracts; ensuring that government pays small business suppliers at the same time as big contractors, along with a pledge of new measures to tackle late payment in the private sector.

The latest policies on small business follow initiatives announced in Chancellor George Osborne’s autumn statement last week.

Business secretary Vince Cable said: “I meet with small businesses regularly who tell me about what government support works well and what doesn’t.

“Through our commitment to small firms, we are directly addressing that feedback, freeing them from unnecessary burdens, providing more finance and improving access to advice and support.”