No sector of the market is immune from the current economic downturn, but there are places firms can turn to for help, one expert has stated.

According to George Derbyshire, chief executive of the National Federation of Enterprise Agencies, business support services can offer assistance to companies that are facing problems.

He said: "They can review and advise on business plans. They can give training on specific skills - credit control, negotiating, marketing and selling for instance."

Managers can also get advice on how to cope without new funding if their sources of financial support dry up, he added.

He suggested that achieving the Customer First service standard could be of huge benefit to firms.

Meanwhile, the Forum of Private Business has advised small firms to do everything they can in order to protect themselves against the impact of the current economic climate.

According to the body, SMEs are more able to adapt to such situations than their larger counterparts.

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