Work with us to make most of opportunities

The year is drawing to a close and it’s been a good year for our area and a positive one for the Chamber too.

After the economic conditions we have all seen and felt in recent years, it’s been great to be able to not have to worry about the doom and gloom and, actually, just get on and run our business.

That’s not to say that it’s been easy – far from it. But certainly many of the companies we speak to feel like there are opportunities out there to grow their business and expand their workforce.

Our quarterly economic surveys over the past year have shown confidence is strong in both the manufacturing and service sectors and we are seeing that reflected by the fact that the economy is growing and unemployment is falling.

What’s clear is that there is no room for anyone to become complacent – especially decision makers such as the Government, the Bank of England and any other body which helps to set the conditions that we all have to operate in.

And with an election looming next year, we would urge politicians from all sides to ensure that maintaining the best possible conditions for business to grow be at the heart of everything they do, the jobs businesses create and the revenues that generates is vital in paying for the services we all benefit from.

As businesses, this is a good time of year to start to reflect and look at opportunities they may be able to explore next year and the help that they can receive.

To that end, I would definitely speak to the Chamber to tap into the help it can give. If you are planning to export, the international trade team is second to none in helping companies find new markets.

But it’s not just exporting that can lead to growth – it’s important to cultivate local business leads too and, again, there is no better organisation to work with than the Chamber from that point of view.

So if your business does wind down at all in the lead-up to and during Christmas, use that time for a well-earned break but also take the time to think about how you can use your Chamber to help you grow your business next year.