4
news opinion
Roll on, 2013. That’s what most business people will think as one year finishes and another looms large
For many companies, 2012 was a year best forgotten although, in any downturn, there are always businesses that shine bright in the gloom. The 46 finalists of the Thames Valley Business Magazine Awards and the key companies in the Solent 250 are just some of those that have successfully outperformed their competitors over the past year.
They hear talk of recession and downturn and think: “That’s someone else’s problem. We are just getting on being nimble, thinking creatively, looking for new markets, reducing our costs, and driving sales.”
Of course, the economy has taken a battering in recent years, but there are signs that we are crawling our way out of the hole. As
we go to press, unemployment is down, as the private sector gains in confidence and starts to hire again. Demand for staff has grown in both manufacturing and service sectors.
Inflation is a problem. Energy costs will drive up prices over the winter, and the Bank of England thinks that inflation will remain above target for at least another six months.
Funding – or the lack of it – will be a brake on recovery. The reluctance of the traditional banks to lend to SMEs will mean that alternative funders will continue to gain profile in 2013, and the Government will have to find creative ways to get money out to the front-line where it can do some good.
Any SME that has survived the recession deserves to pour a glass or two of bubbly over the festive break. And to raise the glass to what should be a better year ahead.
A merry Christmas and a happy new year to all our readers and advertisers.
David Murray Publisher
Softcat to double technical team to support growth
Award-winning IT reseller Softcat has plans to recruit around 40 people to bolster its team of technical staff over the next 12 months. The company is seeking experienced technical professionals to support its ongoing growth and development following a phenomenally busy year in which turnover exceeded £300 million.
Marlow-based Softcat was a double winner at the Thames Valley Business Magazine Awards in November – winning Business of the Year, sponsored by Pitmans, and the Business Management Team Award, sponsored by RBS – see pages 37 to 45.
Softcat is recruiting for consulting services, as well as technical support
Your skills
positions, and is looking for experts in storage and virtualisation, networking, security, and Microsoft technologies. Some of the new recruits will work in Softcat’s new state-of-the-art network operations centre, which the company has created to meet growing demand for its managed services.
Softcat invests heavily in its employees, providing on-going training and development opportunities with a real focus on the requirements of the job and achieving industry-recognised certification. Softcat was voted 10th in the UK’s Great Places to Work list in 2012, and achieved a top 50 ranking among European small and medium businesses.
supporting education
Schools benefi t from dynamic business people who can help drive school improvement. Volunteer today and make a big diff erence to a local school.
www.becomeagovernor.com
thebusmag(thames).indd 1
www.businessmag.co.uk
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – DECEMBER 12/JANUARY 13 26/11/2012 16:41:21
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60