A £1.5 million development scheme aims to solve an accommodation headache for small and medium-sized businesses.

Businesslodge, which is due to open in Barcroft Street, Bury, next month, expects to support more than 100 new jobs when it becomes fully operational.

The project, which has been partly financed by the European Union's European Regional Development Fund, is the brainchild of Businesslodge Managing Director Gordon Asquith.

The concept is to provide "today's accommodation for tomorrow's business."

Mr Asquith said: "With a new or growing enterprise, you need to be able to concentrate on doing business.

"Accommodation problems are the last thing you want tying you down.

"With Businesslodge you can just treat us like a hotel.

"Check in, use the facilities and buy in any others you might need as your business expands."

The deal includes heating, lighting, cleaning, a reception service and conference facilities.

"Our aim is to enable the smallest, one-person business to have all the facilities of a large organisation," Mr Asquith said.

Businesslodge is one of the companies exhibiting at the Bolton Voice exhibition to be held at the Reebok, Bolton, on October 11 and 12.