Focus on how Yorkshire firms can prepare for the upturn

KEY figures from business and the public sector across the region have gathered to discuss how to support Yorkshire companies when the economy starts to recover.

Business Link Yorkshire hosted the business breakfast discussion ‘Preparing for the Upturn – Challenges and Opportunities’ where an audience of 50 people heard presentations from Barry Dodd, the founder of Yorkshire-based GSM Group; Chris Rooney, director of business recovery at PricewaterhouseCoopers and Yorkshire Forward chief economist Patrick Bowes.

Following the presentation, the audience divided into groups to discuss the challenges facing the region’s businesses over the next 18 months and what needed to be done to help firms face these challenges.

Attendees included Gary Lumby, head of retail banking at Yorkshire Bank; Tony Cherry, national chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses; Andy Foster, area director business support of Lloyds TSB; David Bagley, partner at Baker Tilly; Margaret Wood, regional chairman of the Institute of Directors; Jonathan Knight, chief executive of the Yorkshire Food Group and Arshad Chaudry of the Asian Business Development Network.

Senior representatives of UKTI, Sheffield, Leeds, Bradford, Hull, York and Wakefield City Councils were also at the event at Thorpe Park Hotel in Leeds.

The event was chaired by Chris Melvin, chief executive of Reed in Partnership – the organisation that delivers Business Link services in Yorkshire.

With research showing that more businesses collapse as they climb out of recession, senior executives from organisations such as financial services, Yorkshire Forward, local authorities and chambers of commerce looked to prioritise key issues that firms will face and identify areas for joint action. 

Key challenges included access to finance, innovation within SMEs, business planning, investor readiness and simplification of training provision.

Helen West, chief executive of Business Link, said the workshop will increase shared understanding. “We must learn the lessons from past recessions. Meetings like this give us the opportunity to pool our knowledge and experience to ensure we give businesses appropriate support when the upturn comes,” she said.