Tim Messom, who runs art printer Ken Messom Creative Artwork (KMCA), set up a group on Facebook called "Save Tim From Bankruptcy" to attract new customers to the business and improve his company's fortunes.

KMCA produces high-quality prints based on the photography of Messom's father Ken, but the recession had seen the business lose major customers, including those in the office and restaurant sectors.

Messom opened up the business to allow Facebook users to have their own files printed by the company, an initiative that has had an immediate effect on the printer's fortunes.

According to Messom, KMCA is currently carrying out an average of 30 orders a week, a work level he believes is enough to sustain the company.

"If the group on Facebook had not been as successful as it has been, I would now be bankrupt. It's given us business stability and attracted new customers as well," he added.

The turnaround at KMCA has come only a month after Messom set the Facebook group up in March. "I set it up out of sheer desperation. I was right at rock bottom," he said.

The printer is carrying out the jobs on its two digital Epson 9600 machines and, for the time being, plans to still take in jobs through the social networking website.

He said: "We can give clients the personal touch on jobs that other websites can often not allow you to do. The plan now is to develop the business further."

Following on from his Facebook success, Messom is now also looking into promoting and printing other artist's work on the site.

It just goes to show, you can beat the credit crunch if you put your mindto it," added Messom.