FEATURE DECISION TIME
Lee Baker, PR & Media Manager for the British Cleaning Council, offers his thoughts on the year ahead, and speculates what the impending In/Out EU Referendum could mean for the British cleaning industry.
What is striking when looking forward to the year ahead is there’s not one, but two cleaning shows for us to get excited about!
The success of the Cleaning Show at the Excel Arena last March, meant the BCC and Quartz could press ahead with a brand new regional cleaning show, in Manchester this April. While it was smaller in scale than its London counterpart, we believe that it proved to be one of the most important dates in this year’s cleaning industry calendar, thanks to a higher than expected turnout and even a visit from the BBC Breakfast team.
And then, in March 2017, the main London Cleaning Show will return to the Excel Arena. Many of the exhibitors’ from last year rebooked stand space straight away, and organisers are confident that 2017 will be the biggest and best Cleaning Show to date.
When looking at the year ahead it’s almost impossible to escape the fact that there is an EU referendum taking place this summer. The campaign is already becoming very fractious, with politicians arguing passionately to stay, or leave. The divisions it leaves in the Tory Party could last for many years, whatever the result may be.
It will be a massive decision for the British people, with the outcome, at this stage, very difficult to determine. The BCC has decided to stay neutral on this issue, as senior Council members believe it’s a very polarising issue, and the Council feel there’s nothing to be gained by taking a stand. Individual members will have their own views, and may well be airing them in the weeks and months ahead.
In general, the economic outlook for the year ahead is still positive, with experts predicting modest growth. Although recovery from the great recession which followed the financial
6 | Tomorrow’s Cleaning Yearbook 2016/17
crisis of 2008 is still slower than anybody expected.
All eyes are really on the world’s two largest economies: the United States and China. There has been a slowing of economic growth in China that is worrying some analysts, with a knock-on effect being the fall in global commodity prices.
The US Presidential Election will no doubt dominate the headlines in the autumn. Barack Obama’s two terms in office are now over, so it leaves the field wide open. The whole primary contest has been illuminated with the rise, and rise, of Donald Trump, with some predicting he may go on to win the Republican nomination. It would be truly remarkable if he did. But whoever wins the party nominations later in the summer, the election for President will be one of the biggest international news stories of the year.
Back in the UK, the BCC is undertaking an internal dialogue throughout the year, in an attempt to re-shape its business aims for the future. At the recent council meeting in the West Midlands, the board invited business consultant, Pascoe Sawyers, to give a presentation to members about changing and shaping a business plan and mission statement. The Council will be asking members for their opinion and ideas, as it looks to update its core aims and objectives.
With the UK economy, whilst not yet soaring, but at least settled, it seems extraordinary that politicians are distracted with the Euro Poll, when there are so many other pressing issues like housing, the NHS, schools, jobs and immigration.
But it is happening, and the British public will have to make a once-in- a-lifetime decision to either stay or leave the EU. We do live in a globalised economy, but no one can know for sure what an ‘out’ vote would actually mean
“With the UK economy, whilst not yet soaring, but at least settled, it seems extraordinary that politicians are distracted with the
Euro Poll, when there are so many other pressing issues.”
for jobs and investment. But what we can be sure of is that politicians of both persuasions will be working overtime in the run up to the June vote to persuade and cajole the nation into supporting their side of the debate, and there’s no doubt it will be the most important vote we’ll ever have to make.
www.britishcleaningcouncil.org
twitter.com/TomoCleaning
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 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104
