Growing Your Business: Optimism driving ambition
THE North West has all the ingredients – entrepreneurial spirit, connectivity, people and finance – to be at the forefront of efforts to rebalance the economy.
In our 19-page Growing Your Business Supplement, in association with Kuits Solicitors, The North West Fund and Santander Corporate & Commercial, we look at some to the drivers of growth in the region. Click here to download the supplement.
The concepts of the Northern Powerhouse, MediaCity, the SuperPort in Liverpool and Atlantic Gateway are all seen as powerful and persuasive factors for the investment in the region.
Damian McGann, divisional managing director, North, at Santander Corporate
& Commercial said: “The picture is hugely positive. In 20 years doing this job, I don’t think there has ever been a more exciting time to be in the North West.”
Rob Buckley, partner and head of corporate and commercial at Manchester law firm Kuits, agrees, stating: “One of the biggest drivers is confidence – confidence in the economy, confidence in the region – and the expectation of a period of stability following the election.”
Cliff Maylor, chief executive of The North West Fund, which since its launch in 2010 has supported around 360 businesses across the region to the tune of £120m, says a number of sectors are driving growth and is also upbeat on prospects.
He said: “The North West is full of exciting and innovative businesses across a range of sectors, as well as investors that are willing to back them.
“With MediaCityUK playing a key role in the development of the region’s digital and creative sectors, we’re seeing an increased appetite for these businesses, as well as the usual North West strongholds of technology, biomedical and manufacturing.”
Santander is this week bringing its Breakthough Box Live campaign to Manchester’s Spinningfields business district and is hosting a number of events for ambitious SMEs to hear from leading regional figures and sector experts.
Among the events are sessions with: Living Ventures, the leading Leisure brand, Microsoft, which is hosting a session on maximising technology for business growth; access to finance; export; using social media; opportunities in Latin America and social enterprise.
