SIZE doesn't matter - if you want your business to succeed online.

This was demonstrated by a two-bedroom Malton bed-and-breakfast, which has found ways of boosting its trade through the internet.

Christopher and Phillippa Turner, of Low Penhowe, near Malton, signed up to take online bookings through Nexus, Yorkshire's first destination management system, earlier this year.

The couple were so successful that Christopher was invited to address the region's tourism leaders at Yorkshire Tourist Board's recent conference in York.

The Turners only opened Low Penhowe to guests three months ago, and already the bed and breakfast has earned a five Diamond Silver rating. The pair used their 18 years experience of running a holiday cottage business.

Christopher has no qualms about recommending live online bookings to other North Yorkshire businesses.

"One of my first bookings through Nexus was an American couple and two English friends who were touring the UK. They were in a Starbucks in Edinburgh, went on-line to check out where they might go next and within a couple of clicks, they were looking at Low Penhowe," he said.

"When they saw the 'book now' button, they did just that, paid up front by credit card and were with us the next day."

David Andrews, chief executive of Yorkshire Tourist Board, said Nexus would help the region's tourism businesses to gain a competitive advantage in both domestic and overseas markets.

Updated: 11:18 Wednesday, May 19, 2004