Starting a business in the middle of a recession might sound like a recipe for disaster, but for two Scottish entrepreneurs it is the perfect time to take the plunge.

Starting a business in the middle of a recession might sound like a recipe for disaster, but for two Scottish entrepreneurs it is the perfect time to take the plunge.

Fans of the national bard Mari Cummings, 49, and Sharon Low, 27, from Renfrew, launched Robert Burns Gifts Ltd in January, a website determined to do justice to the much-loved poet.

"We just felt he wasn't being reflected in the best light", said Sharon. "Based on what was available for people to purchase, expats coming back or people here on holiday taking a souvenir back were getting a bit of plastic with some tartan stuck on it, so we thought why not get something good instead? We've sourced some of the high-end stuff that's already out there and we're filling in the gaps ourselves."

She added: "We don't want anything made in Taiwan, or made in China. Everything is sourced, designed and manufactured by someone Scottish. There's everything from whisky and tartan to stationery."

With support from the Business Gateway scheme they sought out bank finance to get started. "They can guide you every step of the way", said Sharon. "Everything is there if you look for it"

To date, everything has run smoothly for the pair. "We've been very pleased with the results so far," Sharon added. "Our website comes online on May 1, and we're trying to get in to places like gift shops, but we're not fully established yet. But clients have been very interested in what we have to offer."

But did they ever worry about starting a new enterprise during the worst economic downturn in 80 years? "No, but I think purely because of what the product we were going to be selling", said Sharon.

"It's a niche market, but there's always going to be someone with money to spend on these things."