SEMLEP


The


pandemic: one year on


If, on March 1, 2020, someone had given us a preview of the year to come, we would not have believed them. T e last year has seen a vast shift in the way we live our lives, the way we do business and the way we value one another. While the way we live may never be quite the same again, here at


the South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP), we are hopeful that our business community will come back bigger, better and more resilient than ever. Over the past year, we have received over 4,000 enquiries from


businesses. Understandably, last March we were receiving an exceptional number of enquiries from businesses to discuss their fears of the implications of a national lockdown. One year on, while we would have never imagined a third lockdown and the COVID uncertainty still surrounding us, the UK business market is recovering and unlocking


new opportunities. Over the past month, we’ve been speaking to


ambitious entrepreneurs about taking their new ideas forward, and to existing business owners about utilising the opportunities present by the EU exit, COVID recovery and future markets. While we remain in a national lockdown, we


are cautiously optimistic about our future. With England’s inoculation programme in full swing, The Bank of England’s Forecast has become signifi cantly more optimistic – predicting a faster recover than initially thought. 2021 may not off er the normality we all crave,


but it does off er a unique opportunity for businesses to adapt, grow and come back more resilient. Sharing insight and advice, we asked our team


of experts at SEMLEP how to remain resilient over the coming year. Here’s what they said: “While there have clearly been devastating


impacts on some sectors of businesses and for individuals, the fundamentals of the economy have remained strong. We expect spending will recover quickly, which should see the economy to rebound


24


ALL THINGS BUSINESS


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