introduction VIEWPOINT


WELCOMING YOU TO insightMAGAZINE


BUSINESS WEST Leigh Court, Abbots Leigh, Bristol BS8 3RA T: 01275 373 373 E: kye.parkin@businesswest.co.uk W:www.businesswest.co.uk


To let us have your member news, email: membernews@businesswest.co.uk


FOLLOW BUSINESS WEST AT:


@bw_businesswest www.facebook.com/businesswest www.linkedin.com/company/business-west www.youtube.com/user/GWEBW


FRONT COVER How to secure business grants See page 20


The British voting public is starting to create a proud record of confounding expectations. Theresa May has failed to secure a parliamentary majority, and with it, UK businesses now face yet another period of prolonged economic uncertainty. As well as surprise, businesses in the West will


no doubt feel frustrated by this unnecessary and self-inflicted political risk as they strive to compete both nationally and internationally. For many of the businesses we are helping to


PUBLISHERS Kemps Publishing Ltd 11 The Swan Courtyard, Charles Edward Road Birmingham B26 1BU W: www.kempspublishing.co.uk


EDITOR Laura Blake T: 0121 765 4144 E: laura.blake@kempspublishing.co.uk


Please send press releases and articles, including images for possible inclusion to: laura.blake@kempspublishing.co.uk All material is used at the editor’s discretion.


DESIGN Lloyd Hollingworth


ADVERTISING Jon Jones T:0121 765 4144 F: 0121 707 3821 E: jon.jones@kempspublishing.co.uk


PRINTERS Buxton Press Buxton, Derbyshire W: www.buxtonpress.com


Business West Insight is produced on behalf of Business West by Kemps Publishing Ltd and is distributed without charge throughout the South West of England. The publisher is committed to achieving the highest quality standards. However, views expressed in the magazine are independent and while every care has been taken to ensure that the information it contains is accurate, the publisher cannot accept any responsibility for any omission or inaccuracies that might arise. This publication (or any part thereof) may not be reproduced, transmitted or stored in print or electronic format without the prior written permission of Kemps Publishing Ltd.


prepare for Brexit, the election result is likely to further darken an already very unclear horizon. On the flipside, some businesses will be heartened by the suggestion that with a greater role for parliamentarians and a stronger voice from business, the UK is now more likely to end up with a ‘soft’ Brexit and avoid crashing out of Europe without a deal. And our latest local business survey confirmed


‘It’s time for politicians to grow up and have an adult debate about the costs and trade-offs involved in Brexit’


that businesses in the West are overwhelmingly in favour of such a scenario. Nationally, the formation of a stable administration that can give voters and


businesses confidence around both economic management and Brexit negotiations must be the absolute top priority. It’s time for politicians to grow up and have an adult debate about the costs and trade-


offs involved in Brexit. While most companies have, for many months now, been doing their best to ignore the ‘noise’ generated by politics in order to focus on their own operations. Since the UK’s decision to leave the European Union, we have worked tirelessly to


educate and inform our members, in addition to working in partnership with them to find practical solutions to the problems that they are encountering as a result of Brexit. Yet, as the local business reaction to this election suggests, we cannot continue to fill this


void alone, the Government needs to be upfront with businesses about the challenges they face due to Brexit and provide robust local support to help overcome them.


PHIL SMITH MANAGING DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS WEST


JULY/AUGUST 2017 insight 3


Staying positive despite a period of uncertainty


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