About 1,000 company owners are expected to attend the Wrexham Business Week - providing information and sharing good practices.

At the very least, it is a networking opportunity to meet business people and discover new information

Local businessman Dave Savage

The event aims to offer support and advice to anyone looking to start their own company, or expanding an existing firm.

Topics such as e-commerce, the Euro, and developing links with Ireland will be discussed at a variety of venues across the town until Friday.

More than 30 events make up the programme - put together by the business development and enterprise unit of Wrexham council.

The former head of ICI, Sir John Harvey-Jones, and stockbroking expert Justin Urquhart Stewart are among the speakers.

Organiser Peter Scott, business development manager at Wrexham council, said the week formed part of his team's support for businesses in the area.

"We are confident the programme will feature at least one event of real use and interest to everybody," he said.

Local businessman Dave Savage, who started up Llay-based design company, Mako Creative, with help from the council, said he would be attending several events.

Justin Urquhart Stewart: Key speech

"At the very least, it is a networking opportunity to meet business people and discover new information and new methods of working," he said.

Mr Savage also had particular praise for the council's business development team regarding the range of seminars on offer.

"Once you have realised what is available, you see what relates to your own business," he added.

Alan Cronin, who only started his security consultancy firm DAC Consulting in June, said it was good that Wrexham was being put on the map as a site for embryonic businesses.

He picked out the debate on the Euro as a particularly important seminar to develop contacts for his firm.

"As a business-to-business, we have to be in areas where other businesses with European interests," he said.

Investors

On Tuesday, Justin Urquhart Stewart, director of 7 Investment Manager, gave his address - The Easy Way to Make Money - at Llyndir Hall in Rossett.

He said that the success of entrepreneurs in Wrexham depended on the calibre of the individuals involved.

His talk focused on the ways for investors to get money together.

"As an individual or a group, you can raise money and start businesses," he said.

"People don't know where to get money from, and banks aren't the answer - very few people know about the range of options available."

Mr Urquhart Stewart also gave help and advice to people whose businesses were expanding.

On Friday, Sir John Harvey-Jones will host a lunch meeting entitled Keys to Business Success at Redwither Tower on Wrexham Industrial Estate.