Harnessing optimism for the 'new normal'
In my role as President of Burton & District Chamber of Commerce, I am really pleased to collaborate with the Burton Mail to share business insight and signpost any funding, support and advice available for locally based businesses, writes Shaun Gray.
I live locally and believe we have a wonderful location to live, work and learn in. Testament to this is our award-winning Burton & South Derbyshire College and the many large (some global) businesses which have chosen to operate in the area from JCB to Toyota, Boots to Molson Coors. Our region is one to be truly proud of, and I know it is going to become even greater as we move through 2022.
Talking to business owners about their plans makes me feel optimistic that the world is starting to return to normality, with restrictions being removed and people who have been working from home starting to return to the workplace. I know at Ginho we are really looking forward to meeting our customers face to face and visit the European automotive exhibitions we have missed for almost two years.
When I say return to normality, I recognise that for many it will be a new normal. One thing 's for sure, businesses are not alone in the barriers and hurdles that we all now face. That 's why the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce partners with Birmingham City University to survey businesses across the region to give a snapshot of performance and trends across the region which includes Burton upon Trent.
The latest report* reveals an upturn in domestic and international activity, with a record number of domestic sales and an increase in export sales too. However, we also know that this is being offset by inflation pressures and a rise in recruitment difficulties being experienced by local businesses, which is adding pressure to operations teams and the bottom line too.
The report shows a third of survey respondents highlighted inflation as being of greater concern than three months ago, reflecting the increase in the cost of raw materials, higher fuel costs and strong wage demands.
In terms of recruitment, whilst three in five reported an active recruitment of staff; 76 per cent had experienced difficulties in doing so over the last three months - the highest level since the financial crisis of 2007.
As a Chamber we will be running regular events where business leaders can discuss challenges and opportunities as a local business community so, please look out for these on the Chamber website.
We are fortunate as a region to have a wide range of business support available to help with recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. The Stoke on Trent & Staffordshire Growth Hub has a number of fully funded initiatives to help businesses drive strong, sustainable growth. One of those is a cutting-edge online business diagnostic and planning tool to help identify key business priorities, highlighting any necessary tactical approaches to creating stability. The Growth Hub offers free business reviews to help you understand the support your business could get.
I urge all SMEs to explore these potential sources of support - you can find out more at (links - see below). Meanwhile, let 's harness the optimism of a new year and embrace the new normal.
Links/sources:
The Growth Hub: Business Support in Stoke on Trent and Staffordshire - (stokestaffsgrowthhub.co.uk)
Burton & District Chamber of Commerce events page: Events Listing | GBCC (greaterbirminghamchambers.com)
* Quarterly Business Report: https://www.greaterbirminghamchambers.com/asset/90B0D21B%2DB78C%2D47BA%2DAC275187F3C2DA64/
Shaun Gray is President of Burton & District Chamber of Commerce and Managing Director of Burton based Ginho Group.
This column was originally published in the Burton Mail.