The first edition of a business magazine co-founded by a former regional editor is set to be released in the coming weeks.

Chris Maguire, left, who was the editor of the Chorley and Leyland Guardian for nearly six years, left his role as editor of the North West Business Insider to work on Business Cloud earlier this year.

The 43-year-old has teamed up with computing entrepreneur Lawrence Jones MBE, CEO of UKFast, to produce the publication, which will initially be bi-monthly.

The magazine will focus on “demystifying technology for a business audience”.

Said Chris: “During my time at Insider I interviewed or visited around 1,500 businesses and I realised that I’m an entrepreneur at heart.

“I’ve got huge respect for the way Lawrence Jones has built up UKFast so when he suggested going into business together to produce a new national technology magazine it was an opportunity of a lifetime.

He added: “Technology enables you to scale your business. It can make you more efficient, more productive and more profitable.

“People talk about the ‘Internet of Things’ but not many ‘real’ businesses can explain what it is and how it can improve the bottom line. That’s where Business Cloud comes in.”

A journalist for 25 years, Chris has previously worked for a number of papers including the Daily Mail, Gloucestershire Echo and Yorkshire Evening Post.

A past Newspaper Society Journalist of the Year, Chris left the Chorley Guardian to join Insider in 2012 after overseeing an increase in the paper’s circulation.