SMALL businesses and tourist operators have been warned not to miss the boat in the build up to the Commonwealth Games in Manchester next summer.

Hundreds of thousands of extra visitors will be heading for the North West between July 25 and August 4 next year and hotels, caterers, printers and retailers are just some of the local businesses which still have a chance to grab a slice of the pie.

Manchester 2002 - the body charged with co-ordinating the Games - says it wants to create a 'spiders web' of businesses working together with major sponsors, which include big names such as Microsoft and Cadbury's.

At a presentation to local businesses at Rheged visitor centre, Stephen Feenan, procurement and contracts manager for Manchester 2002, said: 'No business is too small to be part of the games.

The major sponsors need sub contractors.

It will be like a spider web of businesses working together.

'Do not think that Cumbria is a million miles away from Manchester.

I have even got businesses in Canada and Australia contacting me wanting to be suppliers because they saw how it worked in Atlanta and Sydney.

Do get yourselves involved.'

He said many of the games' 16 venues would need top-up services such as extra seating, transport, signposts or security and Manchester 2002 was also looking for merchandise manufacturers and retail outlets.

He urged local businesses to group together and network to come up with 'end to end' business solutions which would allow for seamless delivery, installation and removal of any services or equipment from the hospitality village.

Economic and social single regeneration budget programme manager for the Games, Lesley Giddings, said the event would also be a chance to rebuild the region's 'decimated' tourism industry - a sentiment echoed by a number of hoteliers at the presentation.

Co-director of both Lindeth Howe Hotel and local transport company Mountain Goat, Stephen Broughton told the Gazette: 'We want to work out how we can encourage people into the Lakes before, during and after the Games.

The opportunities are there we just have to work out how to grab them.'

See this week's Gazette for the full story.