So, it’s over. Officially at least. The worst recession in living memory has statistically ended – but many local entrepreneurs say that the going remains tough.

Although Bradford Chamber of Commerce says confidence levels are better than for a couple of years, few expect 2010 to provide any spectacular improvement.

In spite of the difficult climate, however, intrepid local entrepreneurs have not been deterred. Some have pursued a dream, others were pushed into self-employment by redundancy.

Two of those who pursued a dream are friends Tony McColgan and Warren Fyffe who launched Aire Valley Guitars in 2007.

Based in Keighley’s Royal Arcade, the business recently expanded into a third unit to enable it to cope with rising demand.

The increasing level of business means that Tony can focus on the shop full-time and no longer needs to work part-time at B&Q to make ends meet. Warren supplements his income by teaching the guitar Aire Valley Guitars is attracting customers from as far afield as Leeds and Burnley and will also extend its reach through its new website.

Tony said: “The website will provide an online shop window as buying a guitar is a touchy-feely thing. People want to hold them and play them before deciding to buy.

“We’re delighted that the business has gone so well. It’s been tough, especially in the early days, but we’ve built up a good reputation and also been helped to some extent by the closure of the Spectre guitar shop in Bingley.

“We’ve increased our range of instruments from 18 in a tiny unit at the start to more than 120 now. We sell a wide range, from starter guitars costing £99 to expensive quality US-made instruments used by professional musicians.”

The duo’s latest venture has been the opening this month of the Aire Valley Guitar School in Main Street, Bingley, which also sells guitar accessories.

Also on the expansion trail is Bradfordian Manjinder Singh Sarai, who launched Zsphera, an up-market coffee takeway, at Menston station in 2008.

He converted the former station buffet, and the move has proved so popular with commuters that he’s now planning to open a restaurant there.

Manjinder saw the potential of offering the 400,000 commuters who use Menston station every year with top-quality coffee, using local produce such as organic milk wherever possible, backed up by first-class service.

Bringing back catering to Menston station after a gap of eight years has been so successful that he is now also looking to expand Zsphera’s operations at other stations locally. Manjinder said: “Our business model of providing a high-quality product coupled with excellent standards of customer service has proved a winner. Commuters’ response has been terrific and I’m delighted that things have gone so well.

“It’s a formula that should work at other stations and I’ve got my eye on some potential sites.”

Based on his success to date, Manjinder is busy preparing for the opening of the 1875 restaurant in April, which will create five new jobs. It takes its name from the year Menston station was built, and the decor will retain its Victorian origins to reflect the age of the British Raj in India.

Manjinder has secured the services of top chef Atul Kochar, one of the first Indian cooks to win a Michelin star, to open the new restaurant.

Jewellery shop owner Alia Arisi can vouch for the importance of ‘location, location, location’. Moving her business from Frizinghall, where it was suffering from a lack of passing trade, to Saltaire has put her Xclusive shop on a much stronger footing.

Alia said: “Since moving in September I’ve seen trade pick up well. Being located here will enable me to take the business to another level, and I’m more optimistic about the outlook now.”

Her shop in Bingley Road sells up-market branded and crystal jewellery, including one-off pieces from Italy and the United States. Alia opened the business in 2006 after previously running an e-business selling skincare products which she sold to pursue her passion for jewellery.

Alia, who gained a masters degree from Bradford University School of Management, intends to use her experience in online retailing to develop the Xclusive business.

Over at Salts Mill, Deoditia and Santosh Walke import top-quality rugs, curtains and other soft furnishings from India where they have a production unit.

Their Zeba Rugs & Fabrics business is well established, but they have suffered from the effects of the credit crunch, with householders cutting spending or delaying purchases.

To offset this they have developed an operation providing furnishings to commercial customers including Aagrah’s new Midpoint Suite at Thornbury, and the new Mumtaz restaurant at Clarence Dock in Leeds.

Deoditia said: “Trading is still tough. Even though the recession is technically over, it will be some time before we see spending levels return. Fortunately, we’ve developed the commercial contract side of the business that has enabled us to maintain turnover.”

Business is booming at the Shipley-based Bin Washing Company, run by Andrew Farrant.

The business, based in Station Road, has won contracts from local authorities, including Bradford Council, and recently signed up Craven Council. It also works for major retailers, cleaning industrial waste bins using specialist vehicles which recycle water.

In the five years since its launch, the firm has become one of the leading commercial bin-cleaning service suppliers in the North of England.

It operates across Yorkshire and Lancashire and beyond, using sub-contractors for jobs further afield for housing associations, national retailers, hospitals, restaurants and pubs and waste management companies.

The company will shortly take delivery of a purpose-built vehicle designed by Andrew Farrant, which is being developed by a Bradford engineering company.

Andrew, who launched the business after a career in contract cleaning, said: “We’ve continued to achieve rapid growth and I expect 2010 to be another good year and to have grown by another 40 per cent by 2011.”