A BUDDING internet entrepreneur has returned to his home town of Trowbridge to launch his latest business venture and is looking for local people to employ.

Dominic Hayhoe, 33, has moved back to Trowbridge after spending five years in London and the south east, where he set up his first major website.

Mr Hayhoe served in the army from 1986-91, and with his forces contacts got the idea to set up the Forcesreunited site.

The site brings together ex-forces staff to exchange contacts and stories and organise reunions, and has become the most successful UK internet site of its kind.

Since its launch in 2001 more than 150,000 people have signed up as members.

Mr Hayhoe also runs a consultancy which he is now expanding and hopes will be taken up by businesses in Trowbridge.

Internet Traffic Consultancy is an auditing service for websites who want more visitors from search engines such as Google.

The bespoke service aims to give businesses tips on how to get to number one or at least the first page of a Google internet search, maximising the potential for businesses to attract new customers.

Mr Hayhoe said: "The beauty of our work is once your site has been optimised for the search engines, generally then there is very little work to do so it is almost a one payment solution to getting lots more traffic to your website with very little ongoing outlay.

"I knew there would be lots of employment opportunities here and although I have only just started advertising I have had a lot of calls from people interested in working with us."

His first job after settling into his new home and offices in Ferney House will be to get his team of new employees to redesign the Forcesreunited website.

Mr Hayhoe said: "The sort of people I hope to build my business with here do not necessarily need previous search engine experience or technical skills because they can be learned as we go along.

"I am not sure how quickly things will expand but if there are just two members of staff in six months I will consider the move to have been a failure."

Through the Forcesreunited website he runs an army surplus supply store and is considering expanding this to a shop in Trowbridge. He said: "I have seen that the old army surplus stores have gone in the town and perhaps there is a market for one here.

"People get good discounts on the website and it might work if we double that up to a shop as well."

The Internet Traffic Consultancy website can be found at www.s-e-o.co.uk and the forces website at www.forcesreunited.org.uk