RICHARD FURLONG set up a professional surveying business in Liverpool in 2003 with the expectation of getting work from the redevelopment of the city centre.

But when the level of work he had anticipated failed to materialise, there was a danger City Surveys would be shunted into a siding.

He responded by diversifying into working on the region’s railways, which was successful and remains a key part of the business today.

That shift was made possible by upskilling his staff, which enabled the company to grow, and today Aigburth-based City Surveys has 12 staff.

Mr Furlong said: “When we made the move to working on railways, we needed to bring the team’s skills up to date and ensure we were perfectly placed to win contracts.

“Without the funding, we simply could not have afforded to send our staff on these training courses and we would not have been able to grow the business.”

Business Link Northwest, which had first helped Mr Furlong identify some start-up funding when he founded City Surveys, were able to assist the firm with staff training, and provides an annual assessment.

Alan Dinwoodie, Business Link Northwest financial and professional services adviser, believes the firm is in a strong position. “City Surveys is a great example of a company that has been able to diversify and continue to grow, despite the tough economic climate,” he said.