Peter Watson, who took over the publicly-funded organisation last year, said he was aware that firms are `tightening their belts', and finding it harder to do business with larger companies, because they are conserving cash.
He said: "To me everyone running a small business is a hero and I want these people to know that we are here for them to help them with their initial business planning.
"A healthy small business community is very, very important to the nation's economy - because they make up something like 95 per cent of all the businesses."
"My advice to people running these firms is to hold their nerve during these times, and keep a close eye on cash flow, because if they run out of cash they will be vulnerable."
Mr Watson said the impact of the credit squeeze was triggering some funding issues for small firms, and that Business Link could help them draw up robust financial plans and suggest alternative routes to funding.
"The banks are undergoing their own significant difficulties at the moment - most have halved in value in the last 12 months - and I think mainstream funding more difficult. However I do believe that if the business has the right idea, the right trading history and can present themselves in a very professional manner, I believe there can still access funding.
"At the end of the day, banks will not stop lending money, they'll go out of business if they do, but I think the criteria is different now."
"We are here for all businesses, but particularly small and medium-sized companies, with advice to help them survive first of all and then thrive.
Funded by the North West Development Agency and with a budget of around £18m, Business Link North West is based in Preston, where it has a small head office function.
The majority of its 300 staff are locally-based field managers based throughout the region.
The five Business Link services in the region, Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Lancashire, Cumbria and Merseyside were amalgamated last Aril into a single organisation.
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