"It doesn't matter whether you are a student dreaming of following in Richard Branson's footsteps, an entrepreneur with a great idea, or just looking for some good advice to get your small business humming - there are people out there, willing to help."
Asked if the current recession was the right time to start a business, Mr Harris said there was no wrong time to start.
There could be wrong businesses to start up in a recession but there was no wrong time.
There were always market opportunities and while the opportunities sometimes changed, there were always new ones for smart business operators.
"In a downturn, businesses have to change and focus on new ways of doing things.
"People have to reassess their business and possibly they could discover things they had not seen before."
There were small business courses available through the Otago Chamber of Commerce (Be Your Own Boss), Maverick Trust and resources through Biz, he said.
University of Otago students could contact Ryan Priemus, who was available on campus through the Audacious programme.
Ambitious businesses might be suitable for business incubation by Upstart to help them grow rapidly, while inventors could access prototyping expertise and government support for research and development.
Mr Harris said businesses had received more than $1 million in subsidies for business research and development in the last year.
The economic development unit was the agent for central government funding available to support business research and development.
Ross Grey, who managed the project, said he could find experts from next door or from around the globe to provide help for growing companies.
The university had some outstanding researchers and the unit also had a programme that searched from thousands of experts worldwide to make sure the right person was found.
Subsidies could also be available for the costs of research, he said.
Mr Harris said the university owned Otago Innovation Ltd which turned university staff research into profit. The Otago Polytechnic also had top-range prototyping equipment that could mock-up new products quickly and accurately.
The Evolver project was looking for ideas that it could help people develop into profitable products.
The chosen idea would receive intensive support for six to 18 months, worth an estimated $100,000 to $300,000.
Although there were many support agencies in Dunedin, the city was small enough that no matter who was contacted, they would know the right person to answer the request, he said.
"All the business support agencies know each other well so they will point you in the right direction really quickly."
The unit could help decide who were the best people to help businesses achieve their goals.
A helping hand
• Business start-ups
Biz (Otago Chamber of Commerce) and Be Your Own Boss, Enterprise Training, Audacious, Otago-Southland Employers Assocation, Maverick Trust.
• Business Ambition Funding: NZTE, EDU, Technology New Zealand, Otago Forward.
• Capital: Upstart Angels, Escalator, banks, Parker O'Connor, venture capitalists.
• Advice: NZTE, Upstart, Bix, Audacious business plan competition, EDU, various accounts and lawyers, mentors, Ministry of Economic Development, Department of Labour, New Zealand Immigration, Ngai Tahu.
• Innovation: Otago Polytechnic, Evolver, Foundation for Research, Science and Technology, Otago Innovation Ltd.
• Training: Chamber of commerce, employers association, university, New Zealand Institute of Management, polytechnic, private companies.
• Regulatory: Dunedin City Council, government departments, + NZTE
