A Sussex business support group has proved a major success in guiding new firms and individual inventors towards prosperity.

In the last six months the Commercialisation Support Group (CSG) has assisted more than 30 companies in Sussex with projects ranging from a sports CD-Rom to gig guides.

Gilly Smith, 37, and Lucy Shuttleworth, 36, were among the first budding entrepreneurs to take advantage of the new help.

Now they are business partners of Juicy Books, a flourishing publishing company producing guides about cities around the UK, and founders of the popular Juicy Awards.

Gilly said: "The service was fantastic for a small company like us.

"You don't have to understand anything about business. You just need a good idea and they give you the business back-up needed to make it happen."

The CSG is part of the Sussex Innovation Centre based at Sussex University.

The group is made up of recent graduates, postgraduates and placement students working together as a research team under the guidance of business professionals from companies such as KPMG and DMH.

To determine the commercial viability of a project, the group will undertake a range of business support services including market research and business model development.

Mike Herd, director of the Sussex Innovation Centre, said: "Part of the whole philosophy of the centre is to help people onto the first rung and then follow them up the ladder offering support.

"We try to make the entry costs as low as possible and if the idea comes good, then money is not a problem."

Gilly advises anyone thinking about starting a business to seek advice from the CSG.

She said: "The group makes you think about the bigger picture rather than just the one aim.

"They can help you take the next step with your business because they look at all avenues and analyse the markets for you.

"When we first asked for help we just wanted to write a guide book on Brighton and Hove. We hadn't grasped the full potential at all."

CSG can be contacted on 01273 704400.