BUSINESSES in Bolton have had their say on what the historic vote to leave the European Union will mean for them.

As the dust begins to settle after the referendum, businesses in favour of the decision and those who had supported the Remain campaign gave contrasting views about the future.

But there is one thing they all agree on is that the result leaves a lot of unanswered questions and uncertainty for businesses.

An immediate impact was that the value of the pound had fallen to its lowest point against the dollar since 1985 yesterday morning.

Ardent pro leave campaigner Chris Houghton, who runs Westhoughton based IT firm Eventura, was on business in Malta when he heard the result.

He was delighted with the result and believes it will have a positive impact on the firm.

Mr Houghton said: "I had resigned myself to a Remain vote after hearing the early polls, but I was delighted with the result.

"I think there will be a period of uncertainty in the short term.

"As a service business we rely on our clients, and this will give us the ability to trade not just with the EU but with the Commonwealth and the rest of the world.

"There has been some short term volatility in the markets. But for us it is business as usual, we traded with Europe before the EU and we will continue to do so.

"I don't think EU countries will start putting up trade barriers, they will just be cutting their noses off to spite their face."

Pro remain businessman Lee Parker, who runs Bolton based recruitment firm Parker Sourcing Ltd, which provides engineering and construction recruitment solutions throughout the UK and Europe, was left deflated.

Mr Parker, who is also an ambassador for the North West for Small Business Saturday, said the decision to leave could lead to higher costs and unemployment.

He said: "Over the next two years we are looking at a period of uncertainty, to see where the country ends up in the great scheme of things internationally.

"It is going to have a significant impact on the short term. I think small businesses such as my own will have to see what happens with big business, mainly energy, utilities and fuel, because this could increase their costs.

"We send employees into advanced engineering overseas, about 30 per cent of them to the EU. I think we will probably see a slight rise in unemployment.

"Support within small business for both campaigns was quite mixed, but it is important that we unite."

According to the Federation of Small Businesses, the Government needs to provide more clarity to small businesses about what a vote for Brexit means in reality.

The organisation's regional chair for Manchester and North Cheshire, Simon Edmondson, said: "The FSB is calling on the Government for clarity on what Thursday’s vote will mean for all businesses, including how they will have access to the single market, and around the free movement of people and trade.

"Businesses in Greater Manchester and beyond those borders will be also be wondering how this decision to leave the EU will affect the Northern Powerhouse project? Is this now at risk, on hold, or is it a case of carry on regardless?

"Small businesses will understandably have a lot of questions following this decision and these need to be answered swiftly — especially here in the North West."

One business boss says that the Brexit vote makes the Northern Powerhouse project, aimed at providing more power and devolution to the region, even more imperative.

Martin Venning, director at UK Northern Powerhouse, a privately funded networking company for public and private sector organisations with interests in the region, said: "This result makes the case for the UK Northern Powerhouse more compelling.

"Our stakeholders will continue to contribute to the process of building a stronger, more productive and stable Northern economy.

"The challenges of growth post Brexit will require innovation and new forms of collaboration which can create new opportunities for all. We expect to play our part in shaping that agenda."