Scott Knowles DL’s Post

Sumer........ championing SME's. An interesting thought piece from Sumer and The Entrepreneurs Network.

'Business owners are actively focused on growth in the next year' Really encouraging insightful messages featured in this report published today from The Entrepreneurs Network with Philip Salter and Sumer. UCL Innovation & Enterprise startups definitely endorse this finding.

Hot off the press! We've just released United Growth with Sumer, which will be launched in the House of Lords later today. – Let’s start with one of our more positive findings – that half of the business owners we surveyed are actively focused on growth in the next year. – Less positively, there’s widespread agreement that economic inequality between Britain’s regions is a problem – with those from the North East, Scotland and East of England most likely to agree. – When we asked where, if they had to, business owners would relocate to – Greater London was the most popular destination. – That being said, most business owners think their local area has a strong business community, and that it is perfectly possible for firms to fulfil their potential without being based in the capital. – We found little agreement among business owners that there’s one single obstacle holding firms back. Though taxes came top, a range of other issues – like premises costs and hiring – ranked as key reasons preventing growth. We conclude our report with a series of policy recommendations, including: 💷 Keep business taxes competitive; 🚉 Invest in transport infrastructure; 🏬 Increase the supply of business premises; 🏛️ Unleash the next wave of mayoral devolution; 🌍 Make Britain open for business.

The government’s plan to create an industrial strategy for the UK should be welcome news for anyone running a business. It presents a golden opportunity to achieve the certainty and confidence we need to plan and build our businesses for the long term. The strategy will form the foundation of Labour’s central growth mission and will determine policy decisions. In my latest Times opinion piece, I set out why I believe it’s so important that development of the strategy takes into careful consideration the regions across the UK and the pockets of great potential they present. If we don’t get the whole country firing on all cylinders, the government’s industrial strategy and its central growth mission will struggle from the outset. The regions outside London and the Southeast don’t need handouts; each needs considering in the context of their locality, future skills needs and/or technology requirements. I am a big believer in the power of clusters. These are complex, economically significant ecosystems in which people can meet, exchange ideas, develop innovations and create business together. If you operate out of London, Cambridge or Oxford, you may already have experienced how exciting and vibrant it can be to work in an environment that develops and attracts world-class talent and ideas. As co-CEO of a West Midlands–based business, I know the positive impact that a strong business environment can have on local communities. I also know that the Midlands is a microcosm of both the challenges and the opportunities of building regional clusters. The region’s manufacturing sector has the potential to become genuinely impressive if it can overcome an image problem and tackle significant productivity issues. With the right strategy, regions across the UK can compete on the global stage. I share more about why I think a regional approach is needed in today’s Times. I invite you to read more here: https://lnkd.in/ebKmaFEj

Great news for South East Mids businesses - dig in to see what help you can get!

🔊Members - We need your input! A Composites UK working group, led by board director Steve Barbour, is preparing an industry-driven response to the UK Government's latest consultation on ‘Invest 2035: The UK's Modern Industrial Strategy.’ This ambitious strategy aims to provide businesses with the certainty and stability they need to invest in high-growth sectors, driving sustainable economic growth across the UK. It envisions a vibrant future for UK industry, with private enterprise, entrepreneurship, and innovation at its core. The strategy invites feedback on key challenges facing UK businesses, including: - Skills development - Competitive dynamics - Technology adoption We encourage our member companies to share their insights and contributions with us to ensure we provide a comprehensive response. Please send your feedback to [email protected] before 5pm on the 16th November so we can collate these and put forward a collective view of our members. In addition, companies can also provide their individual responses to the consultation as well, via https://lnkd.in/ecqGkt7i ⭐Additionally, members will receive a brief survey ahead of the consultation's closing date on 24th November 2024. ✉️Watch your inbox for this opportunity to get involved and make your voice heard. David Bailey FRAeS Ph.D, Dr Faye Smith OBE, Mark Hudson, Steven Brown

SVRE UK Limited's monthly article in the James Caan CBE Your Business Magazine (UK) is focussing on "The huge business growth opportunities for social value ready SME's under the new government". Link to article ⏬ #socialvalue #growth

Business confidence has reached a record low for the second year in a row with only 13% of businesses confident in Ontario’s economic outlook. Learn more about why businesses are pessimistic and the way forward in the 2024 Ontario Economic Report: http://occ.ca/OER2024 #OER2024

Business confidence has reached a record low for the second year in a row with only 13% of businesses confident in Ontario’s economic outlook. Learn more about why businesses are pessimistic and the way forward in the 2024 Ontario Economic Report: http://occ.ca/OER2024 #OER2024

The Victorian Chamber welcomes the Victorian Government’s Economic Growth Statement, a significant step towards driving further growth and investment in Victoria. VCCI Chief Executive Paul Guerra led an advisory committee that contributed to the Statement, ensuring the voice of business was heard in shaping the State Government’s economic priorities. “The Economic Growth Statement is a significant step towards driving further growth and investment in our state, providing clarity on the Victorian Government’s priority areas and how our business community can engage. Victoria must be both open for business and open to business." Read more: https://lnkd.in/gj2Am6vw