pitching for the Small Business of the Year accolade is York Associates, the six-partner training firm started 20 years ago to deliver training courses in Business English, and to coach people to communicate effectively during international business presentations and negotiations.

It began with a turnover of a few thousand pounds and this year stands at around £750,000. Such was the peak-time pressure on its former twin-site premises in Micklegate, with its 10 training rooms, that it was forced to hire training rooms in the vicinity. Until last year, that is, when it moved to Peasholme House, the Georgian building in St Saviour's Place which has 15 training rooms.

This was matched by an investment in newer training equipment and a computer network that linked the homes of all the partners and improved the service offered by them, their three administrative staff and 20 freelance trainers.

Partner Derek Utley said: "Although it is quite difficult to convey the importance of our move to clients, who mainly live and work a long way from York, we know that through our publicity, and especially by word of mouth from people who have visited us since the move, our move to Peasholme will come to crystallise the step we have taken to improve the quality of the service we offer.

"This in itself will - we feel sure - generate more foreign income for York."